Paul Mpagi Sepuya – Focus. Desire.

In his portraits and studio photographs, US-American artist Paul Mpagi Sepuya (*1982) explores queer desire while questioning the established acts of looking and their underlying power structures. Through intimate encounters and carefully staged compositions that often involve close friends, Sepuya presents marginalised bodies as fragmented subjects and objects in their relation to the gaze. 

Using mirrors, fabrics, and studio elements, Sepuya creates a playful and sensual tension between what is revealed and what is concealed. The camera, frequently visible within the frame, redirects the viewer’s gaze back upon themselves, drawing the audience into the complex dynamics of seeing and desiring.

With Paul Mpagi Sepuya – Focus. Desire., Fotomuseum Winterthur presents the artist’s first major solo exhibition in Switzerland. Bringing together both early and recent work, the exhibition unfolds across three spaces that carry both literal and metaphorical significance: Studio, Archive, and Dark Room. The exhibition is organised in collaboration with Sprengel Museum Hannover and is co-curated by Christopher A. Nixon for Fotomuseum Winterthur.

A richly illustrated magazine published by Spector Books and designed by Quang Nguyen accompanies the exhibition, featuring texts by, among others, Kobena Mercer and a conversation with the artist.