Alejandra López-Zaballa

I dry my hair in the wind is a photo book which tells the story of a girls' care home in Oaxaca, the south of Mexico. It contains 80 images that were edited from thousands of photographs taken in many visits to this magical place over the period of several years. It aims at sustainably giving orphans a voice and offering a new perspective on how we see them. Whenever I ask people, “What do you think about orphans?” their answers and facial expressions are often marked by sadness, pity, and even a sense of tragedy. With this project, I aim to challenge prejudices about orphanhood, prompting us to reflect on a more conceptual level: Are our perceptions of unfamiliar realities true? Is what we think about them just a story we've been told repeatedly, which we have come to believe as truth? What are our beliefs based on? How critical are we in our thinking? How much of our reality is shaped by not contrasted opinions? What happens when we view the same reality from a different perspective? From the beginning of this journey, I was deeply committed to developing an honest, vulnerable, authentic and loving connection with the project. This commitment led me to become a complete INSIDER in the care home, immersing myself in their lives over a span of 8 years, fostering empathy and proximity.