The ‘bird of Mexico City’ wants to change: Pieter Henket’s best picture | Art and design

Me took this picture, called La Mujer (The Woman), on the first day of the project called Birds Mexico City. I remember thinking, at the time, that this is one of those rare pictures where you know immediately something special is happening.

But the story started already, with the work called Birds of New York. In Trump’s first administration, people were criticizing New York, saying: “It’s not fun anymore. Young people are not doing anything.” And yet we were seeing these very beautiful children. I told my husband Roger (Inniss): “These children are like birds, I wish I had the same freedom as them when I was young in the Netherlands.”

So we invited them to our studio to record and celebrate them, and say to the world: “Look, New York is alive.” It was successful, but then came Covid. I was thinking of continuing the work of this bird and then we went to Mexico City, a magical place. Mexicans are constantly creative. He uses colors like no other, and the city is full of old buildings and amazing trees. There are many interests and culture on the road.

Roger had heard of Chino Castilla (an artist and costume designer in Mexico City). I met him, explained the work to him, and he gathered a group of friends and colleagues. I told them: “I want you guys to tell your stories and use the values ​​of your culture to represent yourself by wearing clothes.” We set up a small studio.

I wanted Chino and his team to be very comfortable, so the clothes weren’t always elaborate; there were many spontaneous moments. Ixchel Paz – La Mujer – was sitting there wearing a lucha mask and Chino was wrapping her in bunting. I remember saying: “I think it’s too much. So he took it all off and I said: “Ixchel, you look so beautiful. He gave me the OK and I said: “I’d like it if you looked proud.” He turned to the side and his whole body went into a very dignified position.

I knew we had something very strong to build on. I always feel that way with my projects: I want that first day to break the code. You shape people, then set them free. With Ixchel, he sat there in a very vulnerable position, but we had a group of great people who shined a light on him. In Mexico, the lucha libre mask is a symbol of masculinity; Ixchel was talking to himself, which I think gives the image its power. This country has a strong culture of machismo, but these kids are walking the streets with all their pride and joy, and they’re not going to let anyone get in the way of that.

I think a photoshoot should always be about the story, not the photographer. It’s scary to take your picture, sit there and put your trust in the team. I asked Ixchel: “How did you feel about this picture and the whole episode?” She said: “For me, standing in front of the lens has always been a way of making a difference, because showing myself in an industry full of unchanging beauty is my way of saying that diversity exists and that I hope more people will see themselves represented…

This project is not only about being silly, but also about young people being free. But what I hope is that a poor young person sees this somewhere in a bookstore and thinks, “These people are like me,” or, “I can be like that.”

You see them – “birds” – in London, too, and in other cities more and more. And because I wasn’t that young when I was younger, when I see them now I want to celebrate them.

Pieter Henket’s Birds of Mexico City is published by Damiani’s books

CV of Pieter Henket

Born: Geldrop, Netherlands, 1979.
Above: Standing in New York’s Metropolitan Museum with my father/mentor looking at my painting on display, I later learned that my work had been acquired for the Rijksmuseum collection in Amsterdam.
Top tips: Make your study stand out. Shooting is about them, not about you. Don’t let them see you sweat. Be curious. Once you start, give yourself a shot and don’t worry about posting anything. Play with light and try to tell a story. Be an artist because you love it, not to be rich.