In Spring 2024, Nottingham Contemporary will present a major monographic exhibition by the Los Angeles-based artist, Paul Mpagi Sepuya (b.1982, United States). The exhibition will be the first institutional presentation of Sepuya’s work in the UK, bringing together more than 40 works across almost 400 square metres of gallery space.

Sepuya is best known for his intimate studio portraits that explore the relationships between camera, subject and viewer. His photographs are not only images of desire, but also images about the making of images. The people present throughout his photographs are friends, lovers and members of the artist’s queer and creative communities. Sepuya himself is often present in his work, glimpses of his body appearing in reflections or from outside the frame. Generally, these glimpses intentionally highlight him as the maker of the images, positioning the camera or releasing the shutter. The recurring use of mirrors is both practical and symbolic, both as a tool to hold and layer fragments of images, and as a means to deny the direct gaze of the viewer’s eye.