Phyllis Galembo

American photographer Phyllis Galembo has devoted much of her career to documenting masquerade and ritual in places like Africa, Haiti and Mexico with her vibrant portraiture. “I am interested in all the details and that’s why I think when I photograph, I am really close to the person physically. There’s not that much space between me and them,” Galembo explained to AnOther earlier this year, as her book Mexico, Masks & Rituals was published. For this sale, Galembo has chosen a portrait she took in Haiti. “Kanaval troupes in Jacmel, Haiti, vary greatly in size, from several hundred members to just one individual, and a single troupe can include many different figures,” she says. “Some wear large papier-mâché heads that satirise local political figures; some invent fanciful figures and animals, while others perform narrative tales, often about slaves who escape masters, or tricksters who elude authority.”