The Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris will present Tyler Mitchell's first solo exhibition in France, titled "Wish This Was Real," running from October 15, 2025, to January 25, 2026. Mitchell, a major figure among the new generation of American photographers, will showcase works exploring his signature themes of self-determination and the extraordinary beauty found in everyday life.
Mitchell's photographic work unfolds as an ode to self-determination, dignity, and the beauty of daily existence. Since his rise in the fashion world, the American photographer has developed a sensitive visual language that subtly blends portraiture, landscape, and utopian storytelling. Rather than revisiting historical narratives, Mitchell imagines alternative worlds through bright, colorful, and vibrant scenes where Black individuals appear in their full humanity.
These images transform representation into an act of reclamation—a poetic and engaged gesture that celebrates a joyful and free Black utopia where everyone can exist fully, beyond imposed identities. Mitchell's photographs serve as both artistic expression and social commentary, offering viewers a glimpse into worlds where Black joy and freedom take center stage.
The exhibition is structured around three major themes drawn from Mitchell's photographic practice. The first section, "Lives/Liberties," reveals his early influences, particularly skateboard culture, through images filled with joy, camaraderie, and self-discovery, set against a fragile social context. This section also features the video "Wish This Was Real" (2015), which offers a poetic meditation on innocence confronted with American political realities.
The second theme, "Postcolonial/Pastoral," invokes dreams and memory through lush and symbolic landscapes. These works explore themes of connection to land and nature while addressing postcolonial experiences through Mitchell's distinctive lens. The final section, "Family/Fraternity," celebrates the resilience of Black communities through intimate portraits, still lifes, and domestic scenes that present the home as both sanctuary and a space for collective reinvention.
True to his rigorous aesthetic approach, Mitchell composes each image with great precision, employing bold colors, carefully posed gestures, and meticulous staging. His work engages in dialogue with classical painting, fashion photography, and studio portraiture while maintaining a profoundly contemporary sensibility. For Mitchell, gentleness becomes a tool of resistance—a means of reclaiming the image and asserting an identity that is dignified, autonomous, and radiant.
The exhibition "Tyler Mitchell: Wish This Was Real" is curated by Brendan Embser and Sophia Greiff, in collaboration with Clothilde Morette, artistic director of MEP and exhibition curator. The show is organized and produced by the C/O Berlin Foundation in collaboration with Tyler Mitchell Studios, made possible through support from the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.
Tyler Mitchell is an American artist, photographer, and filmmaker born in 1995 in Atlanta. He currently lives and works in Brooklyn. The exhibition will be held at MEP, located at 5/7 Rue de Fourcy, 75004 Paris, France, with more information available at www.mep-fr.org.
