Emilio Espejel’s project “Where God Is Blind” selected as the winner of the 26th RPS Grant

11/27/2025

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

We are pleased to announce that Emilio Espejel, independent photographer working between Japan and Mexico, has been selected as the 26th recipient of the RPS (Reminders Photography Stronghold) Grant.

This year’s jury consisted of Alexa Becker, Erik Vroons, Giuseppe Oliverio, Staton Winter, and Marina Paulenka, who engaged in careful and thoughtful deliberation before selecting Emilio Espejel ’s project, “Where God Is Blind.”

The RPS Grant provides artists with the formal right to use our gallery space for an exhibition.
To date, Reminders Photography Stronghold in Tokyo has showcased the works of 25 grant recipients, building a unique and influential history. We are honored to welcome Emilio Espejel as the 26th artist in this lineage.

Where God Is Blind is a project that quietly observes how violence seeps into everyday life in Mexico, and how faith and daily rituals accompany those who live within that reality. Rather than depicting fear itself, Espejel captures the traces of life that persist despite it—prayers, memories, subtle gestures—revealing the contours of an often unseen reality.

He portrays the strength and fragility of people living amid pain without exaggeration, romanticization, or idealization. His attentive gaze brings a quiet tension and lingering depth to the work, illuminating the dignity found in ordinary acts of living.

The project also reflects his ongoing self-questioning—how his own background shapes his perspective, and how he positions himself within the social processes he documents.

The exhibition is scheduled to be held at RPS in July 2026.
We look forward to sharing it with you.

RPS KYOTO PAPEROLES | Artist-in-Residence Program: Winter–Spring 2026
https://reminders-project.org/en/rpskyotopaperolesresidency2026winter-springen/

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

©︎Emilio Espejel / Where God Is Blind

Profile | Emilio Espejel
Emilio Espejel (b. 1993) is an independent photographer based between Japan and Mexico. He began his career working alongside journalists, which led him to develop a documentary approach focused on identity, migration, and social issues. Over time, his work has explored the intersections of tradition, youth, and marginality in contemporary society, often through long-term projects. He has collaborated as a freelance photographer with media outlets including The Associated Press, The Guardian, and El País. His ongoing project, Dónde Dios es Ciego (Where God Is Blind), examines how prolonged violence becomes part of everyday life in Mexico and how communities continue to navigate uncertainty and institutional absence.

Exhibition, Grant, News