“I’m especially interested in the cultural and religious manifestations, like Bumba Meu Boi, the Cazumbás, Umbanda, Tambor de Crioula,” Fozzie.
José Miranda Jr., known artistically as Fozzie, is a photographer whose work is steeped in cultural memory, personal transformation, and the persistent pursuit of meaning through images. “At eleven, I was nicknamed Fozzie, after a character from the old TV show Muppet Babies,” he recalls. “The name stuck, and today I go by Fozzie in the artistic world.”
His identity online mirrors his layered approach to photography: One account, @fozzie_raw, showcases his authorial and documentary work, while another, @fozzie_slz, offers a looser, more spontaneous collection of daily life and unfiltered moments.
Fozzie’s creative roots are deeply embedded in the rich, complex soil of São Luís, a city on an island in the Brazilian state of Maranhão. “I grew up in the capital of Maranhão, in the northeast of Brazil. It’s part of the Legal Amazon, so we’re in this transitional zone between the traditional arid sertão and the Amazon, with all its natural exuberance.”
The history of São Luís, shaped by colonial conflict and African resistance, also marks his work. “The island was founded by the French—its name is a tribute to Louis XIII—and we were still a Portuguese colony then,” he explains. “Maranhão used slave labor intensively, so the influence of African peoples and their religions is very strong. Our culture was shaped by this whole mix. We still preserve many of those traits, and that’s a crucial part of my photography.”
Fozzie entered the world of the arts early. “At eight, I enrolled in my city’s music conservatory. I played piano for a while, then moved to guitar. I think that helped me a lot with photography.” Though he never formally studied photography, he did attend visual arts workshops, and gradually, the camera replaced the instrument as his chosen form of expression.
“I began photographing during my travels. At the time, I didn’t understand how powerful photography could be as an artistic language. It started out as something pragmatic—something to replace music—but then I realized I could communicate through it. It became a way of trying to organize the chaos of the real world.”
“Above all, photography is my way of bringing order to the chaos of the real world. It’s a space where I can translate silence, emptiness, and contemplation—even in the midst of noise, movement, or urban decay.”
As for defining his style, Fozzie admits he’s still in the process of discovering his visual language. “If I had to describe it,” he says, “I’d place it somewhere between the documentary and the authorial—a blend of observation and personal narrative.”
His lens often focuses on the cultural and religious traditions of Maranhão—Bumba Meu Boi, Cazumbás, Umbanda, Tambor de Crioula. “Another kind of photography I love is street photography, exactly because of how unpredictable it is. You never know what you’re going to find.”
One of his most meaningful projects, Entre Mundos, no Caminho dos Cazumbás (Between Worlds, on the Path of the Cazumbás), explores the mythical Cazumbá, a masked figure central to the Bumba Meu Boi festivities.
“The Cazumbá isn’t male or female, human or animal. It moves between the material and immaterial worlds. Photographing them allows me to create narratives that are both dreamlike and deeply personal.”
When preparing for his work, Fozzie leans more on intuition than planning—especially when shooting in the street. “There isn’t much preparation. I might flip through books by photographers like Harry Gruyaert, Lee Friedlander, Alex Webb, Gustavo Minas.”
When it comes to authorial projects, he does his homework: “I like visiting locations in advance to study the light. I don’t use artificial lighting, so I have to understand the natural rhythms of the space.”
One photo that stands out in his memory is titled, Tiempo Suspendido. “It was for a competition about the concept of time. I became a finalist with that image. It was the first time I truly transmuted a feeling, a dream, into a photograph. Even if it was intuitive, I managed to transform an inner image into a visual reality.”
In addition to Entre Mundos, he has developed series like São Luís, de Gente e Luz and Águas da Ilha de São Luís, both of which explore the everyday life and landscapes of his hometown. He continues to work on projects that examine religious syncretism, particularly focusing on traditions like Umbanda.
Looking ahead, he hopes to produce a series centered on the idea of emptiness and the passage of time—a reflection on the inescapability of temporality itself. “I’ve been maturing this idea, inspired by philosophical reflections on time. It’s more introspective, quieter.”
Thinking back on his experiences he recounts a tense moment in New York: “I was photographing my reflection in a building’s mirror. Suddenly, a man came out, shouting that I couldn’t photograph him. I explained I was shooting my own reflection, but he wouldn’t listen. I ended up deleting the image in front of him,” he explains. “What he didn’t know is that my camera had two memory cards—one for backup. So, I still have the photo to this day!”
The challenges of being a photographer in Brazil are significant, especially when it comes to sustainability. “One of the biggest challenges is being able to live off photography—to have a dignified life supported by it.” Still, the rewards are immense. “Brazil is so culturally rich. Every state has its own unique traditions. To be able to document all of that… it’s extremely fulfilling.”
Recently, Fozzie’s work has gained broader recognition. In 2024 and 2025, he’s had multiple works selected for prestigious festivals and exhibitions. Highlights include participation in the Festival de Fotografia de Paranapiacaba (2025), the Ecos Cardinales exhibition in Mexico, and the São Paulo Photography Festival (FFSP25). His work also earned an honorable mention at the XXXIII Brazilian Black & White Photography Biennial.
If he could offer advice to his younger self—or to emerging photographers—it would be simple: “Don’t get attached to equipment. Invest in references.”
And if he were ever granted the chance to realize his dream project? “It would be a long-term journey across Brazil, visiting small towns and documenting the incredible variety of landscapes and cultures we have in this vast country.”
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Soledad Quartucci, CEO, Latina Republic
Latina Republic envisions a world where the beauty and resilience of Latin American and Caribbean cultures are recognized and appreciated globally. By amplifying the voices of artists and cultural custodians, we strive to cultivate a deeper understanding of the region’s challenges and triumphs. Our goal is to inspire greater appreciation for the arts as a tool for empathy, unity, and transformative social change. Through our work, we aim to equip all stakeholders with essential insights for addressing regional challenges, ultimately enriching the global cultural landscape and portraying the victories and hardships of everyday life in Latin America.
