Noel Rojo is a Mexican/American photographer whose work explores the in-between spaces—the transitions, pauses, and moments of potential that reveal the essence of human stories. His practice merges documentary and fine art, focusing on the subtle interplay between people and place.
Currently based in Oaxaca, Mexico, Noel draws inspiration from years of immersive travel across Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, and Africa. These experiences have profoundly shaped his understanding of the shared and distinct narratives that define human experiences.
His ongoing series, Gotas de Fuego ('Drops of Fire'), is set in Oaxacan cantinas and reflects on themes of longing, separation, and fleeting connection. Inspired by a song that uses love as a metaphor for alcoholism, the project explores the layered stories embedded in these third spaces—where time stretches and settles in quiet corners. The candid yet carefully composed images balance authenticity and intentionality, using light, color, and emotion to evoke the complexities of human experience.
Noel is the co-founder of Women Who Stay, a global multimedia project that highlights the resilience of women whose lives are shaped by migration. His work has been featured in international publications such as Deutsche Welle, Thomson Reuters Foundation/Context, The New Humanitarian, Unbiased the News, and Mongabay, as well as in media outlets across Slovakia, Czechia, and the United States.
His photography has been exhibited in solo shows throughout Central Europe and in collaborative exhibitions in Mexico and the United States. As a speaker, he has shared his insights at universities and festivals. A former fellow at the University of Southern California's Spiritual Exemplars Project, he is currently a journalism fellow at Brandeis University.
Through his work, Noel seeks to illuminate the raw potential in overlooked moments, inviting viewers to reflect on the quiet transformations that occur in the spaces between intention and realization.
