For José de Jesús “Chucho” León Hernández, the night is the perfect muse. It’s a mystery, an adventure, and an escape – one in which the Mexican photographer feels innately at ease, despite any terrors it posed.
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“I was afraid of ghosts and the devil, but also afraid of the rage of God,” Chucho says. Raised by two devout Catholic aunts who decorated the home with visceral images of the suffering of Christ, martyred saints, and souls in Purgatory, he spent much of his youth thinking about the Apocalypse.
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“Daytime was dull and boring, full of noise and mediocrity – especially living in this neighbourhood, people are scared of people who are different,” he says. “The night was by far more interesting and benevolent maybe because I was able to be alone, I was a rebel and a charming little boy, always aware of my sexuality. I guess I was more connected and identified with this fantasy world.”
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