Paul Mpagi Sepuya is a contemporary American photographer best known for his portraits focusing on the relationship between the artist and subject. The artist often employs mirrors to depict himself alongside his subjects, investigating identity and self-presentation. “Gesture has always been a big question,” Sepuya has said of his work and influences. “When I think about gesture, everything from Mannerist painting and religious iconography to pornography, selfie-culture, and product photography comes to mind.” Born in 1982 in San Bernardino, CA, Sepuya graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2004 with a BFA in photography and imaging. He later received his MFA in photography from the University of California Los Angeles in 2016. Sepuya has been the subject of numerous solo shows, including two in 2019, his “The Conditions” show at Team Gallery in New York, and “Paul Mpagi Sepuya”  at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis. He has also been a part of many group exhibitions such as the 2019 Whitney Biennial in New York, as well as institutions such as the Guggenheim in New York, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. In 2019 Sepuya was awarded the Rauschenberg Residency in Captiva Island, FL. The artist currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.