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PHOTO 2022: Paul Mpagi Sepuya

'Paul Mpaghi Sepuy' installation view, Centre for Contemporary Photography, 2022. Documentation by J Forsyth.
Text from CCP.

One of the most distinctive voices in 21st-century visual culture, Paul Mpagi Sepuya reveals the dynamics and mechanics of portraiture and photography, positioning queerness and Blackness at the core of the medium.

Following critically-acclaimed presentations at MoMA and the Whitney Biennial, PHOTO 2022 brings together recent works that foreground the elemental conditions of Sepuya’s practice, including the photographer’s tools and studio, mirrors and velvet backdrops, and the interrelationship of photographer and subject.

The use of mirrors has long been a staple of Sepuya’s practice. In his recent work, the camera almost always records a reflection in the mirror, sometimes including fragments of test prints affixed to its surface, and smudges on the glass, a memory of touch that establishes a boundary between viewer and image. The images in this show demonstrate a range of Sepuya’s interconnected interests, zooming out on stages and drop scenes and focusing in on intimate spaces, evoking dark rooms both of photography and queer culture.

Curated by Photo Australia.
Supported by Mark Henry and Fini Frames.

Milieu is proud to support the Centre for Contemporary Photography. PHOTO 2022 Being Human exhibited from 29 April—22 May. Visit ccp.org.au for more information on current and upcoming exhibitions.

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