Biography:
Alejandra Rajal is a documentary photographer born and based in Mexico. Her vision focuses mainly on creating awareness of different realities, aiming to social conscience. Currently, she works as a freelance photographer dividing her time between...
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Black is the color of the Confraternity of Nazarenes. Even though there is a visual uniformity within the group, there is a clear separation between genders and ranks.
The religious group receives donations from its members to decorate the church on special days. There are families from different incomes but most of them come from a low-income economic situation.
Rodrigo, became a member of the Confraternity because his family comes here. Most kids are a little shy but he came very confidently and asked to pose for a photo.
Dr. Arturo Sanchéz Barragán prays before the image of Jesus of Nazarene as a tradition before moving him for the Holy Week celebrations. He is the Hermano Mayor (Big Brother) and leader of the Confraternity.
Behind the hood, every brother has a personal story. Being part of the confraternity sometimes means leaving individuality behind and embracing collectivity. Brother José Roberto has been a member of the confraternity for seven years and hooded for three.
Cultus is a project where I am trying to understand the evolution of faith in Mexico after the evangelization of it. This first part explores an ultraconservative group that arrived in 1545 and eventually was forgotten during the "Reforma Laws" (1861), usually known as a Confraternity or Brotherhood. I´ve been documenting the Confraternity of Nazarenos that went through a 132-year-old ban in Puebla, Mexico, and their efforts to adapt to a new era.