When Women Fly, Cuetzalan del Progreso, Mexico
"When Women Fly" is a project about a group of indigenous women from Cuetzalan del Progreso, Mexico, challenging gender roles by participating in a traditionally male ritual called Danza de los Voladores.
The ritual begins with a ceremonial dance. Five participants then ascend a 30-metre pole and jump off the top, head first, tied to ropes as they revolve around the pole towards the ground.
Historically, only men could take part in this ritual and the flying tradition was typically passed down and continued through male relatives. Jorge Baltazar, a famous volador from Cuetzalan who fathered four daughters, broke tradition by teaching them how to fly.
These sisters were quickly followed by other women. Women participating in the flying dance defied traditional gender roles, symbolising transformation within their social context.
Since 2022 I’ve been working alongside several women and girls who fly, documenting their everyday lives among their community.
Published in:
National Geographic, the Guardian, Envols, The Volkskrant, GEO Magazine, ATMOS, Der Spiegel, CNN Arabic
Mystic London, London, UK
Mystic London is a photo series documenting spiritual communities in London who gather to perform indigenous and pagan healing ceremonies in the city. There is a growing movement of people in the city attempting to reconnect with spirituality, often through rituals coming from abroad. How are these rituals reshaped, repurposed and consumed in a globalised environment like London?
Published in:
National Geographic
A Sisterhood, Rome, Italy
A Sisterhood is a long-term photographic project about the everyday life of a group of nuns living in a Convent in Rome. The community who I documented for years is called Ravasco and takes this name from its founder. Once in the community, these women must learn how to live together, trying to understand and adapt to each other. It took me many years to create a relationship based on trust and to become familiar with the intricate details of their lives.
Published in:
The Guardian, BBC, The British Journal of Photography, It’s Nice That
