‘Wish This Was Real’: photographer Tyler Mitchell opens his first solo exhibition in France

Tomorrow, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris unveils Wish This Was Real, the highly anticipated first solo exhibition in France by photographer Tyler Mitchell. Running from October 15th, 2025, to January 25th, 2026, the exhibition traces a decade of Mitchell’s creative evolution and explores his signature themes—self-determination, identity, and the extraordinary beauty of everyday life.

New Black Vanguard: expanding the vision of Black life

At the heart of Wish This Was Real lies the visual and emotional language that has defined Mitchell’s contribution to the New Black Vanguard, the movement of Black photographers reshaping global visual culture across fashion, fine art, and media. Mitchell’s images—radiant, intentional, and deeply human—propose new ways of seeing. They capture moments of tenderness and freedom that move beyond stereotypes, envisioning a world of possibility and repose.

Across more than 250 works spanning photography, video, and sculpture, Mitchell constructs a vibrant universe in which Black life is rendered utopian, poetic, and multidimensional. From portraits made in the United States, Europe, and West Africa to his recent experiments with prints on fabric and mirrors, the exhibition reveals how beauty, style, and history intertwine in his vision of paradise reclaimed.

‘Wish This Was Real’: three chapters of a visual journey

Wish This Was Real unfolds through three thematic sections that reflect the artist’s progression.

In Lives / Liberties, Mitchell revisits his early influences and immersion in skateboarding culture, depicting community and self-expression amid social tension. His early video Wish This Was Real (2015) stands as a lyrical meditation on innocence and political unrest in contemporary America.

Postcolonial / Pastoral reimagines the landscape as a stage for reflection and resistance. Here, Mitchell’s lush natural settings echo the aesthetics of classical painting while questioning colonial histories and the ideals of beauty. The photographs—bathed in light, color, and symbolism—turn nature into a site of healing and imagination.

Finally, Family / Fraternity celebrates domestic life and kinship. Through tender portraits and still lifes, Mitchell transforms the home into a sanctuary of resilience, where identity and heritage are cherished and renewed. Works such as Georgia Meadows and Untitled (Boys of Summer) embody his recurring belief in freedom through softness and solidarity.

A monumental collaboration and a definitive catalogue

Curated by Brendan Embser and Sophia Greiff, in collaboration with Clothilde Morette, Artistic Director of the MEP, the exhibition is organized by the C/O Berlin Foundation with Tyler Mitchell Studios, supported by the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne.

Accompanying the exhibition is the newly released Aperture monograph Wish This Was Real — the most comprehensive survey of Mitchell’s early career to date. The publication, available in English and in a French edition by Atelier EXB, features over 100 works alongside essays and reflections that situate Mitchell’s imagery within broader conversations on representation, utopia, and visual culture.

Join us for an intimate interview with Tyler Mitchell, the artist redefining modern portraiture. He speaks about the narratives that shape his vision, the emotional truth behind his images, and how place and identity intertwine in his creative world.