It was November 2, 2020.  There was a crispness in the air as I boarded the plane.  For three years I had been dreaming of this moment.  My mind was racing.  I would finally start this crazy journey to visit every country in the world.  As I flew to Mexico for the third time I thought to myself, 196 countries to go.  I would spend the next few months traveling through Mexico and Central America to begin the quest to photograph one person from every country in the world.

Having previously asked a number of friends from the region who I might photograph, I kept getting the same answer.  Travel to Oaxaca.  Boasting a vibrantly traditional culture, it seemed to be the perfect place to start.  Before arriving however, I had a few other stops scheduled.  Up first was San Miguel de Allende.  Travel & Leisure Magazine’s best city in the world (four years running) surely wouldn’t disappoint.  Its famed cobblestone streets, the grand church Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel and a bustling art scene put the city on the map for tourists and expats alike.

Coincidentally, I arrived in San Miguel on one of Mexico’s most celebrated holidays.  Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a time to pay respect to deceased loved ones.  Home altars are prepared while food and flowers are delivered to the graves of family and friends who have passed on.  The holiday isn’t solemn in tone.  The celebration involves song and dance.   People paint their faces and dress as La Catrina (or El Catrin if male).  The costume is elaborate with an intricately painted skeleton face.  This practice not only honors the dead, but simultaneously reminds the living of their own mortality.

Nereyda | Mexico’s Sage

When I arrived, my Airbnb host invited me to join her and her friends in celebration.  We all painted our faces and headed to the Zócalo, the main square in the center of many Mexican towns.  The streets were relatively quiet due to the lingering effects of the pandemic.  Everyone I spoke to explained that normally the city is packed with visitors who come to celebrate the occasion.  For me it was the perfect balance between lively celebration and controlled chaos.  The evening was a great beginning to what I knew was going to be a life changing few months.  I would spend the next eight days in the city walking the famed cobblestone streets.  I’d explore galleries and museums, eat tacos to my heart’s content and bounce from rooftop to rooftop, enjoying the sprawling Mexican landscape along the way.  

After San Miguel, I would venture to the country’s capital, Mexico City.  I met up with a good friend and we explored the city together.  He showed me some of the best eats and we strolled through Chapultepec Park and Palacio de Bellas Artes.  I stayed in Polanco, home to some of the city’s best restaurants and cafes.  CDMX is a huge city with a lot to offer.  I visited a few museums before traveling to Acapulco for a long weekend.  Having always been curious to visit the once bustling coastal destination, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect.

In the 60’s and 70’s Acapulco had been a popular destination for the rich and famous, particularly from Hollywood.  The rocky Pacific coastline and extravagant villas were drawing jet setters to enjoy fun in the sun. Over the years, an uptick in crime branded the city, to some, as unsafe.  Tourism moved to other Pacific destinations such as Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas where it continues to thrive today.  

I mostly stayed in my hilltop retreat, catching up on work and relaxing by the pool.  My next destination would be where I’d take the first portrait for my project.  Once my friends had all suggested that I complete the project in Oaxaca, I began researching the type of person I might photograph.  I immediately found a lot of information about Zapotec women.  They’re a matriarchal society from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec region of Oaxaca.  I was immediately drawn to their colorful embroidered dresses.  The intricacy, level of detail and passion going into creating the garments was apparent.  

As I researched further, I found an article about a woman from Juchitán.  She’s a Zapotec dress designer by the name of Nereydas.  Could this be her?  Could this be the woman who launches the project from concept to creation?  I googled her name.  The first result was a Facebook page for a local restaurant in Oaxaca.  Scrolling through, I saw countless photos of her on the page’s feed.  I didn’t know her relation to the restaurant,  but I knew that there was a high probability that they could at least get me in contact with her.  I sent them a message on Facebook messenger explaining my project and asking them if they had a way to contact Nereydas.  It turns out that the restaurant was hers!  She expressed immediate interest in the project and invited me in for dinner upon my arrival in Oaxaca.  The emotions I felt during this exchange were indescribable.  It was happening.  She said yes.  The vision that had been circling around in my head for years was finally about to be realized.

I landed in Oaxaca and checked into my room.  It was a quiet unit surrounded by lush vegetation.  You wouldn’t know that you were in the heart of the city from the inside.  The interior felt like a cabin, decorated with indigenous artwork.  I settled and prepared for dinner.  Nereydas had invited me to her restaurant where she would prepare food from her home.  Nerves were setting in at this point.  Mostly I was concerned with the language barrier.  She didn’t speak English and, while I could get by with Spanish, I certainly wasn’t conversational or able to articulate the deeper meaning and details of my project.  

I arrived to the most welcoming smile and warmest hug.  Nereydas was wearing a radiant embroidered yellow dress with white lace.  Just as in the article I read about her suggested, she had a proud, powerful presence.  She commanded her kitchen.  I was introduced as her photographer friend from Los Angeles.  Quickly, I realized that I had been as exotic to her as she was to me.  The evening consisted of incredible food and a level of hospitality that had me feeling like family.  We arranged to meet again the following afternoon.  I’d return to her restaurant with paint and paper to have her create her line.

The project I’m working on involves more than just photographing a person from every country in the world.  I ask each person photographed to paint a line across a piece of paper.  The only requirements are that the line is unbroken and begins on the left side of the paper and ends on the right.  Beyond that, they have complete creative freedom to do anything they wish.  I then print their portrait in black and white on top of their painted line, creating a one of a kind collaborative art piece.  When the project is completed, I’ll hang the portraits in an art installation by connecting the line segments together, effectively creating one unbroken line the entire world painted.  

I arrived back at the restaurant with paint and paper.  The watercolor paint is a green/blue viridian shade to represent earth and water.  Nereydas was preparing the kitchen as I prepared the paint.  I explained this part of the process before we met so that she was aware of the painting element.  In a true testament to my mediocre (at best) spanish, the message didn’t convey properly.  She graciously walked over, sat in the chair and posed for what she thought was going to be a session where I painted her portrait.  I laughed nervously at my poor communication of the concept.  Fortunately, her daughter was present who spoke english.  I explained the project to her and jokingly exclaimed that Nereydas most certainly didn’t want a painting done by me.  She relayed the message and Nereydas painted.  We arranged to meet the following morning for the photoshoot.  

That evening, I could barely sleep.  Everything was going perfectly.  We met a few blocks away from her restaurant at a beautiful church, Templo del Carmen Alto.  The shoot went smoothly.  It was just the two of us.  My Spanish served me far better this time around.  We shot for an hour or so in different areas before having lunch and a nice chat.  Nereydas told me about others who I could photograph.  I thanked her but told her that it wasn’t necessary.  She was the only one I needed to photograph in Mexico.  I knew she was humbly flattered.  After lunch, we parted ways.  She invited me to the restaurant for one final meal, this time with her family.  That evening was one of the most memorable moments of the quest to date.  There was more food and Mezcal than I could ever hope for.  We danced.  We laughed.  We celebrated.  I felt like part of the family.

That evening, for the first time in a long time, I cried tears of joy.  The entire experience had been overwhelming.  For years I had been waiting for this moment.  The first of 196 portraits was completed.  Nereydas and the hospitality she showed me will always hold a special place in my heart.  My hope was that this project would transcend the traditional artist and subject relationship.  I want to spend quality time with each one of these Sages.  Each artwork becomes a collaborative artifact forged by our bond.  A bond I will cherish for the rest of my life.  It was that evening that I began to understand the gravity and importance of the work I would be doing.  It was that evening that I knew my life was going to change forever.