David Ụzọchukwu takes over Sheriff Gallery with his debut solo show ‘New Suns’, presented by Galerie Gomis and curated by Ekow Eshun. The Austrian-Nigerian artist is renowned for his photographic works and films that deliver the viewer into surreal and hopeful worlds where Black bodies and nature entwine in search of belonging. Here, both new and archive images come together to reject negative colonial narratives around Black people in the wilderness while contemplating how the Global South is being disproportionately impacted by climate change. The results turn the end of days into promised lands as forests, waters and sands offer solace and renewal. “I’m glad to dedicate space to envisioning new shades of Blackness and symbiotic ways of being in the world,” says Ụzọchukwu.

Ekow Eshun has taken inspiration from Octavia E. Butler's text, “There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns”, to position Ụzọchukwu’s works in a boundless and futurist light while exploring themes of identity and transformation. “David brings the speculative and the fantastic to life with thrilling veracity and immediacy,” says Eshun. “’New Suns’ conjures exhilarating states of Black being, Black possibility, Black dreaming, that only an artist of David’s accomplishment could successfully realise.”

The exhibition also kicks off Galerie Gomis’s new residency at Sheriff Gallery. Originally founded by Nataal creative director Marie Gomis-Trezise to champion artists from the African diaspora whose work challenges cultural barriers, it now leaves its bricks and mortar location in Brussels to embark on a series of nomadic activations. "We are incredibly excited to partner with Sheriff Gallery, a space known for supporting emerging artists and fostering diverse voices,” says Gomis-Trezise. “This collaboration allows us to continue showcasing innovative work in a place of encounter, exchange and experimentation.”

David Ụzọchukwu: ‘New Suns’ is presented by Galerie Gomis X Sheriff Gallery, Paris from 7 November 2024 to 11 January 2025.

David Ụzọchukwu is in conversation with Janine Gaëlle Dieudji (as part of AsOff film Festival powered by Ere Fondation) on 8 November, 7-8.30pm, at Dover Street Market, Paris.