"Dutch photographer Pieter Henket has spent the past few years spotlighting the innovative and subversive fashionings of Mexico City's queer communities. After a lengthy period in the capital, he teamed up with stylist Chino Castilla to create portraits of dancers, performers, and even locals he encountered while strolling through the park. Together, they wanted to highlight "the boundaries between Mexico's deeply rooted Catholic traditions and the freedom of modern self-expression," Henket says."
"Shot in black and white, Birds of Mexico City zeroes in on the textures of cracked walls and peeling paint lining the weathered space and the particulars of the subjects' garments. Frilly, lace pleats, a shock of dried foliage, and masks trimmed with fringe both accentuate and obscure the figures' bodies, while presenting an exuberant aesthetic of contrast. In "Fuerza," for example, a clean-cut muscular figure flexes in leopard-print thigh-highs and heels,"
Black-and-white portraits spotlight Mexico City's queer dancers, performers, and locals, photographed with a stylist collaborator. The images emphasize textures of cracked walls, peeling paint, distinctive garments, and unusual materials like twigs and gilded frames. Frilly lace, dried foliage, masks trimmed with fringe, and Luchador masks both accentuate and obscure bodies, creating exuberant contrasts. Specific portraits juxtapose gendered signifiers: a muscular figure in leopard-print thigh-highs and heels; a demure young person revealing soccer attire under a corsetted gown; a seated figure wearing a flower crown and Luchador mask. The monochrome palette encourages deeper readings of identity beyond commercialized Pride symbols.
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