‘The Bears' is a series of photographs portraying women who were part of Brown University’s rugby team between 2013-2015.
These womxn have decided to join a sport that, in addition to challenging them to overcome their physical and mental limits, introduces them to a new community. A community with a strong identity that allows them to explore their own identity free of prejudice. The intention of this work lies in giving greater visibility to these womxn who, with their presence in a field mostly dominated by men, call into question how we define what is masculine and feminine. Womxn who practice this sport are often associated with a male stereotype and categorized to fit in prejudices about their sexuality and identity. These photographs invite us to question what it means to be a womxn who plays rugby and what determines whether a sport is seen under the magnifying glass of a specific gender perception.
This work is currently on view at:
Get In The Game, SFMOMA, San Francisco (USA) - October 19th until February 15th 2025-------
Publication:
The Bears Book
Self-Published (2024)
Design by Underbau
Articles, essays, and interviews:
The Guardian
Join the scrum! Tackling women’s rugby – in pictures
Clavoardiendo Magazine
Alejandra Carles-Tolra juega con roles de género en "The Bears"
Glorious Sport
Redefining Rugby: Alejandra Carles-Tolra discusses her images of tenacious women’s rugby players who are tackling homophobia head-on
By Megan Wallace
Journal of International Photography
Performance, enhancing, gender
By Daniel Tierney
It's Nice That
Alejandra Carles-Tolra captures a women’s rugby team from all angles
By Rebecca Fulleylove
Vice
The Guts and the Glory of Being on an All-Female Sports Team
By Sarah Waldron
The Independent
Women's varsity rugby: Getting up close with The Bears
By Rachael Pells
Slate
What Life Is Like on Brown University’s All-Female Rugby Team
By David Rosenberg
Strange Fire Collective
By Rafael Soldi
