Antwerp-based photographer Johannes Vande Voorde might have only spent a couple of days in Juchitán, Oaxaca, but with the small town being the hub of Mexico's muxe, or "third gender" community, the portraits he took there are among the most evocative of his recent 5,500km round-country trip, as evidenced by this vivid photo journal.
With a 20-year history in photo reportage, working with NGOs and in conflict zones, Vande Voorde has long been interested in shooting "others beside the normative". Working with the UN on HIV reportage from 2009 to 2010, he was in India when, in 2009, the country threw out the criminalisation of homosexuality. "I made contact with that world then. And I'd been interested in the subject of the muxes in Mexico, whose tradition goes back thousands of years. I'm a photographer – I'm always interested in things that are different."
With a 20-year history in photo reportage, working with NGOs and in conflict zones, Vande Voorde has long been interested in shooting "others beside the normative". Working with the UN on HIV reportage from 2009 to 2010, he was in India when, in 2009, the country threw out the criminalisation of homosexuality. "I made contact with that world then. And I'd been interested in the subject of the muxes in Mexico, whose tradition goes back thousands of years. I'm a photographer – I'm always interested in things that are different."
Clockwise from top left: practising dance moves; Karla Yatziri; Edgar Cacique; Angela Marluu
In a state that comprises 16 ethnic groups, muxes numbered among Oaxaca's original Zapotec people, but were later driven underground by the Spanish conquistadores, who wouldn't accept that along with the existence of men and women, there is also a gender in between. Their public profile was raised again in the 1970s, when some, including Edgar Cacique – among those Vande Voorde photographed in Juchitán – founded the first Vela Intrépidas celebration. Today, some muxes choose to wear the huipil (local female dress) and others stick to trousers, albeit accessorised with a certain je ne sais quoi. Few liked the idea, on a hot day, of changing out of their day-to-day street shorts and flowy tops and putting on makeup for a photograph, but Karla Yatziri (21), was among those who agreed.
In a state that comprises 16 ethnic groups, muxes numbered among Oaxaca's original Zapotec people, but were later driven underground by the Spanish conquistadores, who wouldn't accept that along with the existence of men and women, there is also a gender in between. Their public profile was raised again in the 1970s, when some, including Edgar Cacique – among those Vande Voorde photographed in Juchitán – founded the first Vela Intrépidas celebration. Today, some muxes choose to wear the huipil (local female dress) and others stick to trousers, albeit accessorised with a certain je ne sais quoi. Few liked the idea, on a hot day, of changing out of their day-to-day street shorts and flowy tops and putting on makeup for a photograph, but Karla Yatziri (21), was among those who agreed.
Relaxing at a dance school, where muxes practise for the Vela Intrépidas
"It was so hot. That is a handicap," laughs Vande Voorde. "I tend not to think too much about it. I was taking this portrait of these people and I was sweating. The sweat was running down my cheeks and my nose, and my autofocus wasn't working. It was the first time that's happened. The drops of sweat had fallen onto my camera... I lost a lot of time struggling with that – 15-20 minutes. And people are looking at you, thinking 'do you know what you're doing?' And that makes the sweating worse!"
"It was so hot. That is a handicap," laughs Vande Voorde. "I tend not to think too much about it. I was taking this portrait of these people and I was sweating. The sweat was running down my cheeks and my nose, and my autofocus wasn't working. It was the first time that's happened. The drops of sweat had fallen onto my camera... I lost a lot of time struggling with that – 15-20 minutes. And people are looking at you, thinking 'do you know what you're doing?' And that makes the sweating worse!"
Dance practice in action, left, and posing for Vande Voord
Undeterred, Vande Voorde is already planning another visit with his professional partner, writer Bie Van Laer. "We are definitely going to return, to meet more people and hear them talk about themselves and their community. The festival is good in the sense that there's a lot of people showing up, but I think it's better to meet and interview people in their real life. It makes it more interesting."
To discover more of Johannes Vande Voorde's work, visit expeditionist.org,
@johannesvandevoorde and johannesvandevoorde.com
Undeterred, Vande Voorde is already planning another visit with his professional partner, writer Bie Van Laer. "We are definitely going to return, to meet more people and hear them talk about themselves and their community. The festival is good in the sense that there's a lot of people showing up, but I think it's better to meet and interview people in their real life. It makes it more interesting."
The Lowdown
To discover more of Johannes Vande Voorde's work, visit expeditionist.org,
@johannesvandevoorde and johannesvandevoorde.com
