MIEKE DOUGLAS
No Te Dejes (Never Give Up): Young Boxers of Tepito

In Tepito, one of Mexico City’s toughest neighborhoods, the words “No te dejes” ( Never Give up) mean more than a motto-it reflects the fighting spirit of a community long living at the margins. Boxing here is identity, resistance, and for many, a path to dignity and survival. Tepito has produced generations of celebrated fighters, earning its reputation as the madre de campeones, a legacy even marked in its metro station.
This project follows a group of young boys on a major fight day, chasing the dream of becoming champions and providing for their families. Outside the ropes the streets are packed - neighbours, family, and friends spill into the crowd, cheering them on.
This project explores the build-up to the bouts: weigh-ins, warm-ups, hand-taping, nervous glances, shared jokes, last words from coaches. Brief moments when fear or angst may pierce the bravado, the weight of history and expectation on their shoulders, before they head into the ring to face it head on.

Author
Mieke is a Dutch and Canadian Fine Art Photographer, living in London.

Her practice challenges our ambivalence to the natural world, by playing with distance and scale. She strips down the unnecessary and focuses on simple lines and moments of movement and stillness. Her work moves between fact and fiction and challenges the boundaries of photography and art.

She has recently won several major awards including: Chromatic , Minimalist, Julia Margaret Cameron and British Photography Awards. Mieke is also Shortlisted for the Alpha Female Award at the Sony World Photography Awards and for the Association of Photographers Emerging Talent Awards 2020.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. She has just had her first Solo Show, ‘STILL”.

Website
www.miekedouglas.com

BACK TO GALLERY