Pieter Henket, “Flor de Mayo,” (2021). Subject: Carmen Serratos.
In Dutch photographer Pieter Henket’s new book of photographs, Birds of Mexico City, now available from Damiani, portraiture becomes a way to explore the intersections of gender, fashion, and identity. The book brings together photographs of young contemporary artists Henket met over several years in Mexico City, highlighting dancers, designers, mask-makers, performers, and other creatives. Rather than documenting their work alone, Henket invites each subject to express themselves freely, creating portraits that celebrate individuality while capturing the city’s vibrant artistic community.
Henket is known for fine-art photography inspired by the dramatic use of light in 17th-century Dutch painting. He first gained international recognition after photographing Lady Gaga for the cover of her debut album, The Fame (2008), and has since focused on long-term projects exploring identity and place. His 2018 book Congo Tales, created in collaboration with local communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, similarly examined mythology, cultural identity, and the relationship between people and their environment.
After spending significant time in Mexico City, Henket partnered with stylist and creative director Chino Castilla to create a studio where artists could collaborate freely. Rather than simply styling his subjects, Castilla worked closely with each participant to translate personal histories, cultural references, and emotional experiences into clothing and costume. The resulting portraits blur the boundaries between performance and self-portraiture, balancing Mexico’s deeply rooted traditions with contemporary expressions of identity.
The photographs in Birds of Mexico City capture moments that feel both carefully composed and deeply personal. Working in black and white, Henket strips away the distraction of color, allowing dramatic contrasts of light and shadow to emphasize each subject’s expression, posture, and presence. Many of the figures adopt confident, almost statuesque poses that blur the line between portrait, performance, and fashion photography. In Confinamiento, for example, the subject sits on a stool with her legs spread and her hands resting delicately on her stomach. She meets the camera’s gaze with quiet intensity, while the solid placement of her shoes anchors the composition. Positioned within the corner of a room, her body subtly echoes the intersecting walls behind her, reinforcing a sense of strength and self-possession.
The collaborative spirit of Birds of Mexico City extends beyond the photographs themselves. Writer and poet Renata Juárez Huerdo worked alongside many of the participants, recording conversations that became accompanying texts throughout the book. These reflections allow the artists to speak in their own voices, grounding Henket’s images in lived experience and adding another layer to the project.
The book’s narrative was further shaped by writer Justin Gaspar, who organized the photographs into three thematic chapters inspired by recurring ideas of ritual, symbolism, and the fluid relationship between masculine and feminine identities. Designed by Odilon Coutarel, the publication also functions as an object in its own right. Drawing inspiration from Mexican modernist architecture—particularly the work of Luis Barragán—the book pairs muted gray tones with bursts of vibrant color, creating a rhythm that mirrors the experience of moving through a physical space.
Throughout Birds of Mexico City, Henket treats portraiture as a collaborative act rather than a one-sided exchange between photographer and subject. By inviting artists from different disciplines to shape both the images and the stories they tell, the book becomes a celebration of Mexico City’s creative community and an exploration of how identity is continually formed through dialogue, culture, and self-expression.
Birds of Mexico City is available now from Damiani.
In Dutch photographer Pieter Henket’s new book of photographs, Birds of Mexico City, portraiture becomes a way to explore the intersections of gender, fashion, and identity.
Pieter Henket, “Flor de Mayo” (2021). Subject: Carmen Serratos.
Henket is known for fine-art photography inspired by the dramatic use of light in 17th-century Dutch painting.
Pieter Henket, “La Raizl” (2021). Subject: Otokani Awen.
After spending significant time in Mexico City, Henket partnered with stylist and creative director Chino Castilla to create a studio where artists could collaborate freely.
Pieter Henket, “La Raizl” (2021). Subject: Otokani Awen.
Rather than simply styling his subjects, Castilla worked closely with each participant to translate personal histories, cultural references, and emotional experiences into clothing and costume.
Pieter Henket, “Confinamiento,” (2021). Subject: Mariana Arias.
Drawing inspiration from Mexican modernist architecture—particularly the work of Luis Barragán—the book pairs muted gray tones with bursts of vibrant color, creating a rhythm that mirrors the experience of moving through a physical space.
Pieter Henket, “Chisme,” 2021. Subject: Mexican Jihad.
By inviting artists from different disciplines to shape both the images and the stories they tell, the book becomes a celebration of Mexico City’s creative community and an exploration of how identity is continually formed through dialogue, culture, and self-expression.
Pieter Henket, “La Madre,” (2021). Subject: Ixchel Paz, Emiliano Cruz.
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