Picturing the Vibrant Queer Scene: Mayan Toledano's Stunning Photos from Mexico City
Experience Mayan Toledano's captivating photography in No Mames, a celebration of Mexico City's vibrant LGBTQ community This five-year project beautifully captures the joyful and tender moments, creating a heartfelt portrayal of love, family, and authenticity
Photographer Mayan Toledano captured a lively bedroom portrait of her friends in Mexico City one afternoon, which later became the cover of her debut book. Among the members of the group, Karla got into an altercation with her boyfriend. Despite being primarily located in New York, Toledano discovered a warm and inviting second home in Mexico City in 2018, thanks to a growing community of queer and transgender creatives she met with each visit.
She had her camera with her when Karla and her friends got ready for a fun day out, donning stylish bikinis, sparkling halter tops, and trendy lucite platform heels. After their argument, Karla's boyfriend angrily left, but unfazed, Karla also departed from the group and soon returned with a bottle of Jose Cuervo. Toledano skillfully captured the moment as she effortlessly poured a stream of tequila into her own mouth, revealing a beautiful crescent moon tattoo adorning one of her shoulders, while on the other shoulder, a special modification of the cross symbol for females, featuring two devilish horns, stood boldly.
Jovana, Sheila, Karla and Andrea, 2019
Mayan Toledano
In a phone interview, Toledano shared, "The prepping phase often became the actual celebration. We all gathered, applying makeup, sipping drinks, having a good laugh, and styling each other's hair." They didn't end up leaving the place, Toledano mentioned. Instead, additional friends would join them.
Captured in pictures: The unconventional individuals fostering a sense of community in 1990s San Francisco.
Comprised of numerous vibrant photographs showcasing her friends and acquaintances, Toledano aptly titled her book "No Mames." This phrase, which translates directly to "Don't Suck," holds a broader meaning in Mexico and can be loosely equated to "No f***king way." It was a saying frequently used by Toledano and her friends to express disbelief or astonishment, often muttered while they spent time together and created remarkable photographs. On the day of Karla's argument with her boyfriend, they joined forces in unison, chanting this phrase with a shared vigor.
Maria Mariposa Face by Karla, 2019
Mayan Toledano
Uma and Ada, Wearing Sentimiento by Maria Isas, Polanco, 2022
Toledano's body of work captures not only the vibrant LGBTQ community in Mexico City but also serves as a reflection of her personal experiences. She describes it as "my life that unfolded here... and the moments I've shared with these individuals."
"Theres a type of ease and warmth to this place, and people that drew me in right away. So I just kept coming back."
Making family
Toledano captures intimate portraits effortlessly throughout her photography. From her dreamy series featuring young couples in love to commissioned shoots for Nike and W magazine, where she works with celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Paris Hilton.
In Mexico City, Toledano's images are a beautiful blend of both candid and staged moments. She creates fantasy with stunning close-ups of her friend Maria wearing ethereal butterfly makeup, while also capturing raw and tender photographs. One particularly powerful shot showcases a group portrait of Aine, a trans woman who runs a refuge for LGBTQ individuals in the outskirts of the city. Aine is depicted in her home, surrounded by two close companions and a framed portrait of her late trans mother, Zury.
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Greta, Aine, Mar and Zury on the Wall at Magia Ilegal, Ixtapaluca
"That was a moment of tranquility. Afterwards, they venture out, indulging in drinks and vending clothes on the streets; there's substantial activity and spectacle with them," Toledano reminisced about that day. "It signifies a moment of affection and bonding—a moment of creating a support system and embracing a chosen family."
In "No Mames," Havi consistently emerges as a recurring character. He is one of Toledano's initial acquaintances in the city and has also provided the introductory text for the book.
The photographer pushes the boundaries by capturing couples in extreme selfie moments.
Havi is portrayed in various ways in her portraits. Sometimes she is depicted wearing a pink mini dress or adorned with ethereal, glittering gemstone makeup, with the tattoo "Te quiero" or "I love you" written underneath her eye. Other images show a more intimate side of Havi: being held by her boyfriend in a softly lit bedroom, or being naked and curled up in the bath. One of these images was taken two weeks after Havi underwent breast augmentation surgery as part of her gender transition. In this photo, her chest tattoos are intersected by fresh red scarring, and she is cradled by the water.
According to Toledano, there is a sense of tranquility in this photo, as it is not solely about beauty but also captures the feeling of Havi's transformation during a profoundly fulfilling moment for her.
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Havi at Home, 2019
According to Toledano, a friend of Havis from the United States had assisted in arranging crowdfunding for the surgery. Toledano recollected a conversation with Havi about the term "gender-affirming care" that their friend had utilized in the campaign, but Havi was unfamiliar with it.
Presence and ease
Toledano stated that Havi comprehended the concept of self-affirmation in society and how one is perceived by others. He described Havi as a person of great strength and confidence, emphasizing that she had always felt like a woman without requiring validation from anyone else. Toledano found it intriguing that society perceives this surgery as a necessity for individuals, rather than considering it from the opposite perspective.
In Havis' introductory text, she praises Toledano's thoughtful approach to her work, in which the photographer intentionally avoids placing herself at the center as the artist or chronicler in the narrative of her subjects' lives.
"Protagonism and genius, as traditionally understood through the lens of a white male perspective, are nowhere to be found. Instead, the image embodies a personal approach where everyone involved shares in the experience," Havi explains. "Although she may not be visible, her presence is felt throughout the scene — sometimes perched upon a mountain of clothes, other times with her feet immersed in water-filled tubs. She is within the colors, within the light that fills the walls, and in the faint, subtle smile on my face."
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Seb and Sebastian, 2022
Mayan Toledano
Toledano says that rather than steer the direction of a scene, she stayed open to whatever unfolded in front of her camera.
According to Toledano, even after knowing someone for five years, there is still a possibility of meeting them for the first time. She values the spontaneity and the potential that each moment holds. It is the connection between individuals, the way she perceives them, their own self-perception, and how they present themselves on any given day.
Ultimately, her objective is to depict the happiness and profound love found within the LGBTQ community of Mexico City. While many representations of LGBTQ life focus on struggle and resistance, Toledano believes that practicing art and finding joy in supporting one another is also a form of resistance.
"No Mames" is available from Damiani Books.
