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Paul Mpagi Sepuya — Mirror Study (_Q5A321)
Paul Mpagi Sepuya

Mirror Study (_Q5A321)

2016

In Mirror Study (_Q5A321), Paul Mpagi Sepuya constructs a photographic environment in which the studio itself becomes both subject and collaborator. A mirror fragments and multiplies the scene, folding the viewer's gaze back into the image and collapsing the conventional distance between photographer, subject, and observer. The body, the apparatus, and the reflective surface are woven together so deliberately that the act of looking becomes inseparable from the act of being seen, a quality that distinguishes Sepuya's practice from straightforward portraiture and positions this work firmly within a more expansive inquiry into desire, intimacy, and representation. Executed as an archival pigment print at 81.3 by 61 centimetres, the work rewards close attention to its tonal depth and surface precision, qualities that underscore Sepuya's meticulous control over the photographic medium. The relatively intimate scale encourages a private, considered encounter rather than spectacle, while the edition size of five ensures meaningful rarity within a body of work that has attracted sustained institutional and critical recognition. Sepuya has been exhibited and collected by major museums internationally, and works from this period of mirror-centred studio exploration are regarded as foundational to his mature voice. Available through Craven Contemporary, this signed and framed example presents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a work from one of the most intellectually rigorous and formally inventive photographers working today. For collectors with an interest in contemporary photography, queer visual culture, or the evolving discourse around identity and the gaze, Mirror Study (_Q5A321) offers both aesthetic and conceptual resonance that deepens over time.

Medium
Archival pigment print
Overall
Framed
Signed
Yes
Location
Craven Contemporary, Kent, CT

For Sale — $9000

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About this work

Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Mirror Study (_Q5A321), 2016

In Mirror Study (_Q5A321), Paul Mpagi Sepuya constructs a photographic environment in which the studio itself becomes both subject and collaborator. A mirror fragments and multiplies the scene, folding the viewer's gaze back into the image and collapsing the conventional distance between photographer, subject, and observer. The body, the apparatus, and the reflective surface are woven together so deliberately that the act of looking becomes inseparable from the act of being seen, a quality that distinguishes Sepuya's practice from straightforward portraiture and positions this work firmly within a more expansive inquiry into desire, intimacy, and representation. Executed as an archival pigment print at 81.3 by 61 centimetres, the work rewards close attention to its tonal depth and surface precision, qualities that underscore Sepuya's meticulous control over the photographic medium. The relatively intimate scale encourages a private, considered encounter rather than spectacle, while the edition size of five ensures meaningful rarity within a body of work that has attracted sustained institutional and critical recognition. Sepuya has been exhibited and collected by major museums internationally, and works from this period of mirror-centred studio exploration are regarded as foundational to his mature voice. Available through Craven Contemporary, this signed and framed example presents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a work from one of the most intellectually rigorous and formally inventive photographers working today. For collectors with an interest in contemporary photography, queer visual culture, or the evolving discourse around identity and the gaze, Mirror Study (_Q5A321) offers both aesthetic and conceptual resonance that deepens over time.

Medium
Archival pigment print
Dimensions
overall: 81.3 x 61 cm • framed: 83.8 x 63.5 x 3.8 cm
Year
2016
Edition
of 5
Signed
Hand-signed by the artist
Seen at
Craven Contemporary, Kent, CT

Related themes

Mohn Art Collective

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Collected by

Gavin Kennedy