A heartwarming series from Owen Harvey captures the young men taking part in a floral tradition

Typically, when creating personal work, the photographer Owen Harvey likes to work over a long period, making in-roads and building relationships. When it came to his recent series, Floricienta Flower Boys, this approach wasn’t possible, as Owen had to react off the cuff to an annual tradition that only lasts for one day.

Southeast of Mexico City’s centre, Mercado de Jamaica, is a 24-hour flower market; Owen stumbled upon this market when exploring the Mexican capital in the aftermath of the Paradiso design festival. It just so happened, however, that it wasn’t a typical day at the market. It was the 21st of March – the first day of spring – a day where, following tradition, it’s customary for men to buy flowers for girlfriends or close friends. “It was by complete coincidence that this touching annual event was happening,” Owen says, “after a short conversation with one of the teenagers, I was told that the craze was initially popularised by the television show Floricienta.” More recently, its reach has been super-charged on TikTok. 

Having previously explore teenage bullfighters in Spain, young British fathers and LA lowriders, a lot of Owen’s work centres on “how individuals find a sense of belonging in their lives,” he says. He depicts the fascinating tableaus that entwine the mundane and everyday with a striking poignance, “and these Floricienta flower boys felt as if they fit neatly into that exploration”, Owen says.

Owen was taken by the sensitivity and charm of the act – especially in contrast to the narratives of toxic masculinity that dominate the media. Instead, Owen sought to document the tender openness of Mexico City’s young men. “At the same time, Adolescence had recently been released,” he says. “Seeing these young men at the flower market openly express their emotions alongside each other, felt like a positive juxtaposition.” The subsequent portraits are disarming and raw – capturing vulnerable moments that emit an undeniable warmth. Through Owen’s frank documentation, the series champions a connective balance between expectation, subversion and, ultimately, tenderness. 

In finding the specific subjects – those who had just bought their flowers – Owen had to be pretty quick on his feet. “I wanted to include a range of young men with a variety of bouquets and also include a variety of personal styles, as how they chose to present themselves felt important,” says Owen. “I always feel great when I work on making positive stories that can offer a different portrayal of subjects,” especially characters that frequently garner negative press. “I never try to hope or predict what viewers may take from my work, as I understand that it’s out of my control,” Owen ends. “I hope it connects with someone else.”