Inside the book reframing Black identity in modern Spain
Styling Juanjose Mouko Nsue
In his debut book Esto Es España, photographer Sergio Pontier celebrates the unsung beauty of Afro-Spanish identity in Spain.
In Esto Es España, his debut book, photographer Sergio Pontier shines a light on a Spain rarely reflected in mainstream culture. Created in collaboration with stylist Juanjose Mouko Nsue, the project draws on their shared experience growing up within the country’s first Afro-Spanish generation. Across more than 60 portraits captured between 2024 and 2025, Pontier and Mouko Nsue capture a vivid cross-section of Black life in Spain, from artists and actors to designers, musicians and everyday citizens. With a foreword by writer Tosin Adeosun, the book is a beautiful reimagining of identity: a thought-provoking and intimate celebration of an Afro-Spanish presence embedded in the nation’s cultural fabric. We caught up with Sergio to uncover the inspiration behind the images.
Talk us through the inspiration behind Esto Es España?
The topic of Spanish representation has been a constant thread in my conversations with Juanjose. We’ve always shared the desire to create something meaningful that speaks to the environment we grew up in. We kept returning to a central question: What does it mean to be Spanish today? And within that, how can we redefine the way Black bodies are perceived in the broader Spanish social landscape? That question became the driving force of the project – a desire to portray the Black Spanish individual in their highest essence.
How do you want people to feel when they look at your work?
I want people to feel something. Often, we engage with images from a distance, especially when they reflect narratives or experiences unfamiliar to us. But if an image can still stir an emotion – no matter how subtle – you’ve already built a bridge. If the work moves someone, even briefly, then I feel I’ve succeeded.
If an image can still stir an emotion – no matter how subtle – you’ve already built a bridge. If my work moves someone, even briefly, then I feel I’ve succeeded.
Sergio Pontier
When did your interest in image-making begin?
I’ve always been drawn to images, though my relationship with them has taken many forms over the years. I’d say it truly began when I was skating. One of my favorite pro skaters used to shoot on film, and that fascinated me. I asked my mum if I could use one of her old film cameras, and from there the journey unfolded step by step, all the way to where I am today.
How would you describe your photographic style?
Heartfelt.
What subjects or themes are you most drawn to right now, and why?
I’ve always been interested in the experience of the Black individual in the modern world – a theme that can be approached from countless angles. In a way, Blackness is what opens the door, but once inside, there are endless stories and nuances to explore. Right now, I’m particularly focused on the Black experience within Spanish society, the country where I was raised. There is so much that remains unsaid. Creating work around this narrative helps others feel seen, and at the same time helps me understand myself more deeply. It leads me to new questions, new reflections.
I’m particularly focused on the Black experience within Spanish society, the country where I was raised. There is so much that remains unsaid. Creating work around this narrative helps others feel seen, and at the same time helps me understand myself more deeply.
SERGIO PONTIER
Can you tell us about an image of yours that feels especially defining?
There’s an image of a Black boy holding a flower that I took around 2020. I often have mixed feelings about my older work, but that photograph has stayed with me. In many ways, it captures the essence of what I’m still exploring today. We shot it on a completely unplanned afternoon. I had met up with some friends to shoot casually, nothing serious, and yet that spontaneity produced something unexpectedly powerful. It reminded me that meaningful images often appear in the moments you least anticipate.
What’s inspiring you beyond photography – in art, music, film or everyday life?
Culture, in all its forms. It’s woven into our daily lives so seamlessly that we often overlook its influence, it becomes endlessly reimaginable. Each of us carries a small piece of it, and through our own experiences we continuously shape and expand the larger whole. I’m fascinated by how the smallest details accumulate into a larger cultural identity, shaping the way we remember and recognise certain periods in history.
I’m inspired by culture, in all its forms… I’m fascinated by how the smallest details accumulate into a larger cultural identity, shaping the way we remember and recognise certain periods in history
SERGIO PONTIER
What does the photographic process look like for you – from first idea to final frame?
My process usually begins with research, often carried out through my home library. But the core of my practice lives in the darkroom. That’s where I feel the most free and grounded. It’s a space where experimentation feels natural, where the final image slowly emerges through simplicity, intuition, and care.
Who are the photographers or visual artists who inspire you the most?
Irving Penn, Archibald Motley Jr. and Gordon Parks
PHOTOGRAPHY SERGIO PONTIER
STYLING JUANJOSE MOUKO NSUE
CASTING NICO CARMANDAYE FOR CONCORDE CASTING
HAIR & MAKE UP SOFÍA RUBINSTEIN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER LAURA GRANT-EVANS
SHOOT PRODUCTION LGE PRODUCTIONS AND CAP DEP
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ANTONIO DÍAZ
PHOTO ASSISTANTS MARIO VAL Y ALEJANDRO AND MARTÍN VAQUERO
STYLING ASSISTANT CARMEN VIZCAYNO
RUNNER MIGUEL RODRIGUEZ AND JORGE GARCÍA
PHOTOGRAPHY LAB RAPID EYE DARKROOM
PRINTING AGPOGRAF
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