Photographer Stefan Ruiz on Documenting the Last of the Cholombianos, a Teenage Subculture from Monterrey, Mexico

On June 26th, Feature Shoot hosted the second edition of The BlowUp, a new quarterly event in which we ask a selected group of remarkable photographers to each tell the stories behind one of their favorite images. This time, the theme was Subcultures, and Stefan Ruiz picked a portrait from his Cholombianos series, for which he photographed a marginalized group of teenagers in Monterrey, Mexico, who style their hair in a distinctive cut and listen to a slowed-down version of vintage Cumbia music from the coast of Colombia. Sadly, this photograph captures one of the last Cholombianos in existence; because of the dangerous and pervasive drug culture, the police force has cracked down on them for their physical and cultural differences, forcing them to shave and cut their hair on the spot.

The next BlowUp event will take place on the evening of December 10, 2015 at ROOT (Drive In) from 6:30-9:00 PM, and this time, the theme will be photography that has gone viral. We have some incredible photographers lined up to speak including Sophie Gamand, Arne Svenson, Caroline Tompkins, Victoria Will, Kristine Potter, Allaire Bartel, Amos Mac, Kirra Cheers, and Henry Hargreaves. You can purchase tickets here.

The BlowUp is sponsored by Agency Access.