Juan Hernandez, Mexico City
Images by Klinckwort Laframboise
For our first home feature of 2021 we travel to the peaceful home of photographer Juan Hernandez in Mexico City that he shares with his beautiful Shiba Inu, Napoleón. We spoke to Juan about making a life in Mexico City, some of his most memorable career moments and aspirations for the new year.
I’ve been Living in this apartment for three and a half years. I moved in as soon as I arrived in Mexico City, and I’ve loved the place ever since. The rooms overlooking the street have wooden floors and large windows that illuminate them, which is perfect because I use one of the rooms as a working space. The living room has a beautiful old chimney that sets a cosy vibe.
I think one of the things that I enjoy the most about my bedroom is the morning light that streams in through the windows in the morning, it is a moment that I consider as a ritual every day. This room is one of my most personal and favorite spaces that I have; to meditate, reflect and learn things about myself every day.
Shop Juan’s 100% linen set in queen or king.
I have a couple of paintings that I painted during confinement, more as a creative process than as a profession, these paintings have a very symbolic meaning because during the process I got to know myself a lot internally and also discovered how I can work using my creativity, I like to think that these pieces have captured a little bit of my autobiography.
My first memories of using a camera date back to when I was little, where my parents on family trips bought me disposable cameras. Instead of playing with balls, I preferred to photograph moments. I loved the process of taking a photograph, it was like a magic trick, having an instant captured in time, I was fascinated to remember those moments with photos, then when choosing a profession, I decided to study visual arts with a specialty in fashion. Since I started studying, I knew that I loved it and that I would dedicate myself 100% to this profession. I’m currently based in Mexico City and in New York some summers too.
One of the most memorable and special projects in my career was my first solo exhibition in Mexico, in it I talked about identity and made a certain criticism of the fashion industry, about how our person is constantly changing, all this with fifteen images exhibited in the gallery. It was an interesting and personal discovery process.
My creative process depends a lot on whether it’s a personal project or a commercial one. When it’s commercial I always try to talk with the client and tell me a little about what they want to convey in a campaign or photo. Based on this, I look for visual references or things that inspire me to make a brief and art direction by merging what they are looking for with what I can contribute to the brand’s image.
I love living in my neighborhood, beside being very central; it also has many incredible places to visit, especially restaurants, it is also a very local feeling neighborhood and most of the time it is very quiet. I like to walk around, go to Dosis café, eat lunch at Casa Virginia and have dinner at my favourite little Japanese restaurant. On Saturdays, I like to visit current exhibitions around town and on Sundays, I usually get my groceries at the Cuahutémoc market.
For the new year, I’m very excited and happy to see my family again after almost a year in confinement, and preparing new personal projects, I hope they get to see the light next year and wish it will be better than last.
Shop Juan’s 100% linen set in queen or king.