With Birds of Mexico City, Pieter Henket once again pushes the boundaries of contemporary portrait photography. In collaboration with stylist Chino Castilla, he created a series of hushed yet intense images of a young generation of Mexicans who define gender, identity and beauty in their own unique way. The portraits were captured in a carefully constructed studio in Mexico City, where minimalist settings draw all attention to posture, expression and personality.
What immediately stands out is the cinematic calm that remains palpable throughout the series. Henket does not opt for quick statements or provocation, but for layering and subtlety. The people portrayed appear as contemporary icons: powerful, vulnerable and fully in control of their own story. Catholic symbolism, queer culture and pop culture influences flow effortlessly together in images that feel timeless and ultramodern at the same time.
It is precisely this tension that makes the exhibition particularly relevant within the current cultural landscape. Birds of Mexico City is not only about visibility, but mainly about autonomy. About the freedom to shape yourself, free from expectations or traditional frameworks. In doing so, Henket touches on a universal desire: to be seen as you really are.
“With Birds of Mexico City, Pieter Henket shows that true beauty is created when identity is not hidden, but rather allowed to be fully visible.”
Although Mexico City itself is hardly literally visible in the series, the energy of the city is everywhere. The works exude creativity, rebellion and resilience. Each photograph emerged from a close collaboration with performers, dancers and artists from the local community, giving the series a remarkably intimate charge.
The exhibition is part of Henket's broader Birds series, in which he portrays people around the world who embody authenticity and freedom. During the opening on Friday, June 12, the artist himself will be present at Bildhalle Amsterdam. The new book Pieter Henket - Birds of Mexico City.