Unseen Amsterdam
Westergas, 21 – 24 September 2023
Opening on invitation only:
Thursday 21 September 17.00 – 22.00
Public opening days:
Friday 22 September 11.00 – 21.00
Saturday 23 September 11.00 – 19.00
Sunday 24 September 11.00 – 19.00
Paul Cupido’s way of working is rooted in the desire to let go, using his camera as an extension of his senses, capturing unique moments that reflect the magic of his experience. This approach resonates with “Haiku” in Japanese culture, which emphasises focusing on the present moment to enhance intuition and potentially lead to sudden enlightenment.
From the early stages of his career, Cupido has been captivated by Japanese culture and philosophy, which he integrates into his artistic language in a free and adaptable manner. His works do not only refer to the visible, but focus on feeling and experience, as in his latest series, developed during his (still ongoing) artist-in-residence at the InCadaqués Photo Festival in Catalonia.
“Swoon”, debuting at Unseen Amsterdam, describes an intense emotion in love, signifying ecstasy or even a sense of unconsciousness. Collaborating with Paris-based photo artist Anna Muller, Cupido embarked on an exploration of this phenomenon in his typical intuitive approach.
During his stay in Cadaqués and Port Lligat, Cupido found the lingering presence of Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) and Gala Dalí (1894-1982) are still present. Gala, self an artist, was not only the wife of the prominent Surrealist, but also his muse. Their love and work story formed the source of inspiration for Cupido. Fascinated by the alliance of male and female potency to unleash new energies, Cupido employed color-intense works to depict the power and convey the connection between human and nature, and elemental forces. In his notion this inseparable connection might lead to “Satori,” an abrupt flash of insight into the essence of all.
Paul Cupido (*1972) graduated with honors from the Fotoacademie Amsterdam in 2017. Since then, he has published various artist books, including “Searching for Mu” (2017), “Continuum” (2019), and “4 a.m.” (2021)—each one in collaboration with graphic designer Akiko Wakabayashi. Cupido’s work has been exhibited widely, including Paris Photo, Unseen Amsterdam, and the Nordic Light Festival. In 2022, Cupido was invited to be the inaugural artist-in-residence for INSTANTS, the residency program by Château Palmer and Leica. In 2023, he was artist-in-residence at InCadaqués Photo Festival in Catalonia.