In this series, Andrea Mae Perez photographs a variety of martial arts fighters from the Fightzone gym in East London. Fightzone is portrayed as a “home” represented through heightened and theatrical sets in a studio. In this way, she chooses to shine a light on this diverse and unique community of talented athletes through a new angle on classic sports documentary photography. A KALTBLUT exclusive.
By including a variety of absurd props, the series develops the idea of a physical fight being a construct and rather it all being about the “inner fight”. How so much of a fight, even if it includes physical blows, comes down to the mind and its state in that moment.
For Muay Thai fighter Papito, his biggest fight has been “Being accepted/loved/liked by my little girl [his young daughter Antonella]. It was hard after her mom and I broke up, and to get to some sort of routine and acceptance took a long time. It was a very stressful time in my life. Thank God it’s over, and now we have a healthy relationship, with ups and downs, of course, but very good”.
Also, a Muay Thai fighter, Carlotta Vaccari says “My biggest fight as a human being was losing the love for my biggest passion (Muay Thai and fighting) and for anything else in my life. I had to fight hard every day to get out of bed and do the things that I once loved. Eventually, it all paid off because I got my spark and my love for it back”.
For boxer Oriance Lungu “My greatest struggle has been staying true to who I am while living in a world that constantly tries to shape me into someone else. As a gay woman from Hackney, I’ve had to push against expectations—whether it’s society’s narrow ideas of womanhood, the assumptions people make about my sexuality, or the pressure to leave parts of my background behind. It’s an ongoing fight, but one that’s made me more grounded in who I am and more determined to take up space without apology”.
MMA fighter Shah declares “I think my biggest fight has been balancing ambition and personal relationships—staying focused on my goals without losing the people who matter”.
Photography by Andrea Mae Perez / www.andreamaeperez.com / Instagram: @andreamaeperez
Lighting Assistance by Jack Thompson-Roylance / www.jackthompson-roylance.co.uk / Instagram: @deadbeatjack
Photography Assistance by Joonas Jaatinen / Instagram: @joonas.jaatinen
Set Design by Laura Little / www.laura-little.co.uk / Instagram: @laulit
Set Assistance by Adelaide Pratoussy / Instagram: @daylaspace
Set Assistance by Asmae el Ouariachi / www.asmaeelouariachi.com / Instagram: @asmae.el.ouariachi
Boxing Fighter is Oriance Lungu / Instagram: @iamoriance
MMA Fighter is Shah Kamali / Instagram: @shahk01
MMA Fighter is Dorian Steele / Instagram: @teebodybag
BJJ Fighter is Omid Alimohammadi / Instagram: @omid_bjj
Muay Thai Fighter is Molly Mcculloch / Instagram: @muaymollymcculloch
Muay Thai Fighter is Kenneth ‘Papito’ Cruz / Instagram: @papitocruz11
Muay Thai Fighter is Tayo Duroshola / Instagram: @sunchaitv
Muay Thai Fighter is Carlotta Vaccari / Instagram: @totta.vaccari
Muay Thai Fighter is Omar Taiti / Instagram: @omartaiti
Muay Thai Fighter is Andre Simon / Instagram: @radojunkie
Muay Thai Fighter is Joana Paris / Instagram: @thenewparisinlondon
Muay Thai Fighter is Daniel Terry / Instagram: @ninjadayz
Muay Thai Fighter is Kayin Terry / Instagram: @kayindtft
Shot at Oppenheim Studios / Instagram: @oppenheimstudios
Andrea is a Spanish and American-Ecuadorian photographer, director and visual artist, born in Madrid. As a photographer, she has taken press images for several notable music labels and shot for fashion brands. As a director, she has directed a variety of music video, commercial and narrative projects, including her second short film Rat King, currently in distribution. Her clients include Sony Music, Ninja Tune, Parlophone, Polydor Records, Atlantic Records, City Slang, Tate and 3INA Makeup among others.
Andrea’s work stems from many creative sources such as Latin American Magic Realism, Old Hollywood cinema and experimental films. She explores the use of distorted archetypes in her characters, which often include outcasts or loners encircled by an expressionistic use of colour. The evocative visuals delve into the human condition by blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, drama and humour.
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