Idun-Tawiah At Paris Photo

Carlos Idun-Tawiah delivered one of the most affecting and emotionally articulate presentations at Paris Photo 2025.

Galería Alta presented the Accra-based photographer, Carlos Idun-Tawiah’s solo exhibition, which brought a deeply personal body of work to the international stage. More than a visual showcase, it became a meditation on memory, identity, and the visual absences that shape diasporic narratives.

Reconstructing What Was Never Documented

Carlos Idun-Tawiah does not simply document African life. Instead, he reimagines it. His work moves between what actually happened and what should have been captured. At Paris Photo, his presentation “I’ll Be Here to Remind You” transformed a quiet booth into an emotional landscape. In that space, memory and longing met within the frame.

Born in 1997, the Ghanaian artist belongs to a new generation of African image-makers redefining how we see the continent. He grounds his practice in personal experience and cultural inheritance. At the same time, he remains acutely aware of what the historical archive often omits.

A Centerpiece of Tender Reconstruction – Hero, Father, Friend

“Hero, Father, Friend” formed the emotional core of the exhibition. Idun-Tawiah created this series in response to the early loss of his father. With almost no photographs of the two of them together, he stages imagined moments. Through this process, he turns absence into presence.

Firstly, in the series, a father teaches his son on a football pitch. A quiet barbershop conversation unfolds. Light and shadow rebuild gestures, glances, and connection. Explicitly, these photographs are not casual snapshots. Rather, they serve as restorations of memory. They form a visual eulogy that is both tender and defiant.

The series recently received the 2025 Deloitte Photo Grant and will appear at the Triennale di Milano later this month. As a result, this moment marks a significant milestone in the artist’s growing international presence. More importantly, the work offers a critical intervention. By creating photographs that never existed, Carlos Idun-Tawiah challenges the reliability and limitations of the traditional photographic record.

Aesthetic Language Rooted in Cultural Intimacy

Idun-Tawiah composes his images with cinematic restraint. His visual language leans warm yet unsentimental. He often uses soft, natural light and quiet environments. These choices allow gestures and emotions to resonate fully.

“In Between Stations”, a father and son sleep in each other’s arms as the train rocks them through Accra, their bodies folded around a worn briefcase that doubles as both pillow and metaphor. Dressed in his best suit, the father carries the weight of labor and love with quiet grace, turning this fleeting moment into a portrait of endurance and intimate care. Meanwhile, in “Day One”, Carlos Idun-Tawiah captures a father whose authority comes from presence, not force. His raised finger signals care, as the child listens not just to instruction but to lineage.

These are not generalized portrayals of Ghanaian life. On the contrary, they are intimate and specific stories. Idun-Tawiah treats each subject with patience and precision. He avoids cultural shorthand and instead honors complexity.

Why This Debut Mattered at Paris Photo 2025

Paris Photo remains one of the most significant stages in contemporary photography. With over 130 galleries and many solo booths, the fair often overwhelms quieter voices. Despite this, Idun-Tawiah’s presentation stood out. Critics responded. Collectors lingered. Discussions about representation, often abstract, became grounded and real through his work.

He reminds viewers that photography is not just a medium for seeing. It is also a method for repairing, reclaiming, and remembering. In this context, “I’ll Be Here to Remind You” operated not just as an artwork but as a cultural offering.

Carlos Idun-Tawiah at Paris Photo 2025 did not seek spectacle. He did not rely on provocation or chase headlines. Instead, he offered something quieter—and more lasting. His exhibition invited viewers into a world shaped by memory, loss, love, and the longing to restore what history has overlooked.

Amid the visual noise of the fair, his work asked us to pause. And in that stillness, he reminded us what photography can do when it comes from somewhere deeply true.

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