Paul Mpagi Sepuya's landmark Swiss debut opens at Fotomuseum Winterthur

In his portraits and studio photographs, the US artist Paul Mpagi Sepuya blends sensual intimacy with visual precision. Working within the studio’s protected, private space, he constructs layered compositions through encounters with people from his creative and queer communities. By laying bare the act of photographing, Sepuya draws viewers into a sensuous tension between looking and desire. Paul Mpagi Sepuya (b. 1982) is known for the distinctive visual arrangements he creates in his studio, shaped through intimate encounters with friends, lovers, and close companions. His works insist on a queer and Black subject position in photography, without ever fully yielding to the gaze. Through the deliberate placement of mirrors, fabrics, and studio props, Sepuya stages an interplay of exposure and concealment: bodies and gazes are reflected, refracted,