Trailblazing Octavia E. Butler’s parable, “There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns” is the starting point of David Uzochukwu’s new exhibition in Paris, opening November 7. Aptly titled New Suns, the photographer-cum-artist’s new solo show at Sheriff Gallery deals with topics like humankind vs nature, the Global South, and climate change. Both threatening and welcoming, dreamy and dystopian, Uzochukwu’s work perfectly encapsulates our world’s contradictions.
We first interviewed David (b. 1998, Austria) back in 2017, when he was only nineteen years old. He was preparing to move abroad to start his first year of university after a gap year exploring photography as a means of living, and he was already known for his highly imaginative pictures, mostly depicting him. “I started making self-portraits mostly because I was and mostly still am kind of afraid of making bad work, and I didn’t want to have to involve other people,” he told us back then. But today, seven years later, things have changed.
Yes, he still is at the centre of his oeuvre. But his self-portraits don’t reflect his fear of “making bad work,” but rather his approach to the Black body, the one that he’s been living in and has shaped his experience in this world. However, he’s also more confident now in using models (also Black) to craft richer, deeper narratives, as we see in works like Temple, Vortex, Tectonic Shift or Honey — all of which are exhibited at Sheriff Gallery.
The exhibition is curated by Ekow Eshun, who says that Uzochukwu “is a visionary photographer. He brings the speculative and the fantastic to life with thrilling veracity and immediacy. New Suns conjures exhilarating states of Black being, Black possibility, Black dreaming, that only an artist of David’s accomplishment could successfully realise.”
New Suns is the first of a series of exhibitions made in partnership with Galerie Gomis, which starts a residency at the renowned French creative space. Marie Gomis-Trezise says: “We are incredibly excited to partner with Sheriff Gallery, a space known for supporting emerging artists and fostering diverse voices.” David Frasson-Botton, Sheriff Projects x gallery CEO, adds: “With curator Sophie Stroble, we strive to create a space that pushes the boundaries of contemporary art while fostering inclusive dialogues. Partnering with Galerie Gomis for this residency and launching with David Uzochukwu’s New Suns embodies our commitment to presenting diverse perspectives and engaging with critical social and environmental issues.”
The exhibition New Suns by David Uzochukwu opens November 7 and will be on view until January 11, 2025, at Shreiff Gallery, 53 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris.
