Robin Alysha Clemens

Yo soy otro tú, tú eres otro yo

Robin Alysha Clemens (NL)

Mexico is a country that has embraced, accepted, challenged and fought various traditions and religions throughout its history: Starting with the indigenous rituals of the Mayans and Aztecs, then Catholicism imposed by the Spanish colonists to the various cultural influences from Africa and from Latin and North America. While the majority of Mexicans identify as Catholics, the influences of indigenous customs and animistic traditions prior to the colonization are still present today. Mexico is a country where different mystical and religious traditions blend and mutate against a backdrop of a complex political and social history. Yo soy otro tú, tú eres otro yo is a portrayal of the Mexican people and their faith.

© Robin Alysha Clemens, Socrates, 2019

Photographer Robin Alysha Clemens travelled to Mexico to meet, interview and photograph over 60 believers: Curanderos (spiritual healers), shamans, Catholics, Buddhists, nuns, brujas (witches), supporters of Santa Muerte (Our Lady of Holy Death), spiritual midwives, videntes (seers), new age spiritualists, artists and indigenous people like the Nahua, Seri and Yaqui. Focusing on the diversity of contemporary spirituality in Mexico, this project explores the unseen and unveils the underlying similarities between these spiritual practices. Clemens looks beyond the altars, icons and religious symbols, to capture the people behind these beliefs.

Various artworks of the artist were exhibited at the National Museum of Finland, Korjaamo Culture Factory, Kaapeli, Sörnäistenlaituri, and JCDecaux Finland.

© Robin Alysha Clemens, Estella, 2019

AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY

Robin Alysha Clemens (1992, NL) is an Amsterdam based photographer whose work revolves around subcultures and exploring different worlds. Her work visualizes scenes where identity and a sense of place are omnipresent. As a storyteller she is inspired by cinema: she creates theatrical images where light, or more often the absence of light, is most important. She graduated with her Bachelor of Design at the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague in 2016. The artist creates autonomous projects as well as works for clients, including The Correspondent, Het Parool and Natwerk. Her work has been exhibited during the Dutch Design Week, Photography Festival Naarden, Melkweg Expo and in TETEM, among others.

© Robin Alysha Clemens, Iglesia del Nazareno, 2019