10 july 2026, Martine Bontjes
The studio of... Pieter Henket
As Amsterdam Pride officially begins this week, Bildhalle Amsterdam presents the newest series of photographer Pieter Henket. In 'Birds of Mexico City' Henket explores the tension between traditional notions of gender in Mexico City and a new generation determined to define itself on its own terms. Together with costume designer Chino Castilla, he developed a visual language in which fashion, Catholic symbolism and self-expression converge. "It is about people who refuse to be confined by labels or subcultures and who have the courage to shape their own identity."
The exhibition is on show at Bildhalle Amsterdam until 8 August.
Pieter Henket, La Mujer, from the series Birds of Mexico City, 2021, Bildhalle
You live and work in New York. Do you have your own studio there?
I do not work from a permanent studio. Every project calls for different spaces, so I choose and use different studios or locations depending on the work.
You often travel for your photographic projects. Do you usually work through artist residencies or are these places where you already know people?
It is different every time. To be honest, I have never done an artist residency. Sometimes I am invited by NGOs or cultural organisations that are interested in seeing how my photography can contribute to their story. At other times people with extraordinary personal stories approach me and ask if we can bring their experiences to life together. And sometimes I discover a subject that simply refuses to let go of me, as happened with 'Birds of Mexico City'. When that happens, I decide to immerse myself completely and the project grows out of my own curiosity. There is no fixed formula. The one thing all my projects have in common is that they begin with a genuine fascination for people and their stories. From there the photography develops naturally.
For your newest series you travelled to Mexico and collaborated with stylist Chino Castilla. Why did you want to work with him in particular?
Working with costume designer Chino Castilla felt entirely natural from the very beginning. We share the same curiosity and both wanted to create a project that was not only visually compelling but also conveyed something about the people we photographed and the culture they come from.
Chino grew up in Mexico and his work is inseparable from his own background and experiences. His designs emerge from the world around him: its markets, folk traditions, traditional craftsmanship and the colours and materials found throughout Mexico. My role was to translate that world, together with the personalities and stories of the people we photographed, into photographic images.
What I loved most was how naturally we complemented one another. We did not want to create a project that looked at Mexico from the outside but rather a series that felt as though it came from within. Together we searched for a visual language in which the identity of each person took centre stage. Ultimately the costumes, the photography and the personalities of the sitters had to become one unified whole.
Pieter Henket, La Familia, from the series Birds of Mexico City, 2021, Bildhalle
Did you rent a temporary studio in Mexico City or did you photograph in different locations?
I worked in two locations. The first part of the series was photographed in a small old studio. Most of the work was created in a beautiful historic building on General Prim, which we were able to use throughout the entire shoot. The building had an extraordinary atmosphere, with old rooms, beautiful walls and immense character. It became our creative home, where we could work together without interruption and allow the series to take shape gradually.
Where did you find the models for this new series? Did you already know them or did you meet them there?
They came from all kinds of places. We found people through friends, on the streets, in parks, through Chino and his team, and within Mexico City's creative community. Sometimes we approached someone ourselves and sometimes we were introduced to them. We were looking for people with a strong sense of identity and a story to tell. Every portrait begins with the person. Only then did the costumes, the setting and the photography emerge.
What made Mexico City such a compelling place to explore the queer community?
Mexico City fascinated me because it embodies a remarkable tension between tradition and renewal. Traditional ideas about masculinity and femininity remain deeply rooted there, yet at the same time I encountered people who are consciously forging their own paths and refusing to be limited by expectations. Although many of those I photographed are part of the queer community, 'Birds of Mexico City' is not simply a project about queer identity. It is about people who refuse to be defined by labels or subcultures and who have the courage to shape their own identity. That is what I found so inspiring.
Pieter Henket, Fuerza, from the series Birds of Mexico City, 2021, Bildhalle
You present your sitters as contemporary saints or icons. Do you think they see themselves in that way?
I believe there is something transcendent within every person. That is what I try to make visible. Whether they see themselves as icons afterwards, I do not know, but I hope they look at the photographs and recognise something of their own strength. I hope the images give something back to them.
You created this series in Mexico City, yet we see very little of the city itself. Was that a conscious decision?
Mexico City is one of the most overwhelming cities in the world, filled with energy, noise and life in the streets. Precisely because of that I deliberately chose a quiet space. Not to avoid the city but to reveal it in a different way. The city lives within the people themselves, in their stories, their costumes and their gaze.
Your exhibition has just opened and will remain on view throughout the summer during Amsterdam Pride. Who do you hope will come to see your work?
Everyone. But if I am honest, I especially hope that people come who have never before seen themselves represented in this way. People who walk into the gallery and recognise something of themselves. That is the moment I do it for.
You also draw on Catholic symbolism. Were you raised Catholic yourself? Why was it important for you to include those references?
Yes, I grew up in a Catholic environment in the south of the Netherlands, where Catholicism has traditionally played an important role. I was raised Catholic, although I am not a practising Catholic. Even so, its rituals, symbolism and visual language have always fascinated me and remain an important part of my childhood.
In Mexico I saw how Catholicism forms part of everyday life in a very different way. Faith, folk culture and tradition are constantly interwoven there. I found that visual richness immensely inspiring.
Pieter Henket, Confinamiento, from the series Birds of Mexico City, 2021, Bildhalle
'Birds of Mexico City' is part of your ongoing 'Birds' series. Are you already working on the next chapter?
'Wings of Light' is a new project I am currently working on. I have been photographing Ukrainian refugees, people who have endured extraordinary hardship yet possess remarkable resilience. The project is about the way they stand together, support one another and find strength in one another. That is its essence. The 'Birds' series also continues. The next chapter will be Birds of New York.
