BRAVE/VALIENTE • Mexican queer identity

Freedom of expression and gender are very important issues today for the LGBTQ+ community, despite years of struggle for our rights we still live in homophobic and sexist societies. It seems that some societies instead of having more freedom and rights there is a regression in the mentality of people and human rights.

For almost thirteen years I have portrayed sexual diversity in different parts of America, mainly in my community Muxe in Oaxaca Mexico. It has been a road full of challenges of self-recognition.

Brave is a project I started in 2018 portraying queer Latino communities in some cities in the United States. Then I traveled to Colombia to portray queer communities that try to challenge the social standards that society is used to. Finally, I have been working in different communities throughout Mexico with queer people who persevere to be free and express themselves without fear of repression and scorn from society.

Most of the characters I have portrayed in this project have had a long process in the creation and reaffirmation of their identity, with many problems and struggles in search of freedom. If there is something that characterizes them is to have lost the fear of what society will say about them and express their emotions and personalities without fear and with pride. Portraits that challenge the viewer, but the portrait subjects being in front of the camera causes them to challenge themselves as well. 

Mexico is a very diverse country with many wonders, but if there is something I want to highlight is the beauty in the different skin tones and features that characterize all of us in the country. It is something I want to continue discovering in our queer communities. To continue portraying reflect different types of beauty but with courage, emotions, a bit of intensity and just flowing.

Bio

Nelson Morales

Unión Hidalgo, Oaxaca, 1982.

He is Bachelor s Degree in Communication Sciences from the José Vasconcelos University of Oaxaca.

Since 2008 he has dedicated himself completely to photography independently and has studied various educational programs of contemporary photography in Mexico. His work focuses mainly on issues of gender, body, identity and sexual diversity.

He has made various collective and individual exhibitions in countries such as: Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Canada, Portugal, Peru, Malaysia, India, Belgium Brazil, Cuba, Poland, France, Argentina, Colombia, El Salvador, Costa Rica, United States and Mexico.

Among the achievements he has obtained are: Honorable mention in the international photography contest: “Young people in the mirror”, (2010). Winner of the photo contest "It makes you see more" on channel 11 of the IPN (2012). Winner of the contest “Young people, their crises and hopes” Scholarship fotoensayo (2013). Latin American documentary photography contest finalist “Work and the days”, Finalist in the category of individual portrait “Kuala Lumpur Photo Fest. Awards Nominated in the international photography festival “Paraty in focus 2014 and 2015 (Fortaleza, Brazil) Honorable mention in the POY LATAM 2015. Honorable mention in the 2nd. Biennial Héctor García. In 2016 he obtained the Young Creators Scholarship (FONCA). Selected in the biennials of Oaxaca 2014 and 2016. Selected in the third of contemporary photography (2017). Selected in the Photography Biennial of the center of the image (2018). Finalist in the FOLA PHOTOBOOK award (2018). He was one of the winners of the “Arte para todos” call of the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (2019). Honorable mention in the POY Latam contest for his photobook Musas Muxe (2019). Finalist in The Rencontres d Arles Book awards contest, France (2019). First place in the PRIDE PHOTO AWARD international competition in the Netherlands (2019). Recently it is part of the National system of creators of FONCA. In 2020 he won the Center Stage Family contest in the fanzine category in Moscow Russia. In 2022 he won the grant PATROCINIOS by Jumex Foundation.              

His work has been published in Aperture, New York times, Vogue Italia, Vogue México, Vice, Mexicanísimo, TETU, Loeil de la photograpie, The British Journal of photography, Musée Magazine, Der Greif and many others.

In 2018 he published his first Photobook, “Musas Muxe” and in 2019 he published his second Photobook “Fantastic Woman”.

His work belongs to different collections, both public and private.