Mayan Toledano: No Mames

Dreamy, intimate portraits of the LGBTQ creatives energizing Mexico City’s art and design culture

Through her reportage, fashion and portrait work, Israeli Moroccan photographer Mayan Toledano shares the stories of her queer community, exploring their interior lives with empathy and respect. Characterized by their colorful dreaminess, her portraits often capture her young subjects in their bedrooms.

Although Toledano is based in New York, she has found herself increasingly drawn to Mexico City, a place she considers a creative safe haven. No Mames pays tribute to the local LGBTQ artists, designers and creatives who are currently contributing to Mexican culture—many of whom are couples, roommates or childhood friends. The series’ portraiture follows a twofold process: first, she captures her subjects as they present themselves in everyday life; then, she photographs them as they would like to appear, facilitating the construction of their fantasy selves. This collaborative act of wish fulfilment sometimes coincides with real-life transformations: for instance, she follows one of her subjects, Havi, over the course of her gender transition, during which she underwent breast augmentation surgery.