All images © Gabriel Moses, courtesy of 180 Studios
180 Studios hosts Selah, the largest exhibition of the inimitable photographer and filmmaker to date
“I didn’t study this stuff in school, all I have is my memories and my culture and my environment,” Gabriel Moses tells me as we stand in front of one of his images, framed large-scale on a dark wall in the low-lit setting of 180 Studios. It’s the opening of Selah, curated by Katja Horvat and the space, designed by Emilia Margulies, suits his work well. Moses celebrates the beauty and richness of Black culture, family and faith through dark backdrops and Black models complimented by bright, deep-toned sartorial choices.
“My old family photos were my first introduction to photography,” he says of his self-taught background. “I wanted to bottle that up.” Indeed, family is a clear inspiration for Moses. Several images show mothers and fathers with their children in relaxed poses and minimalistic settings. The mother is a recurring role in his practice; a pregnant woman holding a shotgun over her swollen belly draped in bridal lace – one of his most loved images – is a remarkable portrait of a woman who is anything but passive. Moses is a master of exposing the ‘Virgin, Mother, Whore’ paradigm. Is Moses’ reverence of women and mothers in this case also an exercise in confronting the masculinity of our zeitgeist?
Though the young Moses, at 26, already counts Travis Scott, brands like Louis Vuitton, and Pharrell Williams as collaborators (and is reaching stardom himself) it seems at his core he is first and foremost a family man and a man of God. “I’ve got a great mother who has always told me to put God first before everything. I’m 26 and I’ve done all this, so I feel like there’s something bigger that’s pushing my work. I feel the presence of God in my life, it’s only right that I celebrate that.”
“My old family photos were my first introduction to photography”
His latest film The Last Hour makes its premiere at Selah. Over 30 minutes, it follows a day in the life of Ham who wakes up with a time-bomb on his chest and proceeds to unravel into an exploration of the seven deadly sins playing against the seven capital virtues. Shot in Atlanta with Director of Photography Xiaolong Liu, the film was commissioned by 180 Studios on the occasion of the exhibition. And the title of the show itself takes its name from the Hebrew term referenced 74 times in the Bible; with an unclear meaning, it is generally thought to translate as a moment of pause or praise.
As well as his iconic, distinctive photography and his short films, Selah features music videos such as Fein by Travis Scott and Playboi Carti, and Lost Times by ScHoolboy Q, as well as an exclusive new series of photographs created for Selah. The show is a natural progression for a rapidly developing career: in 2024 Moses released his first monograph, Regina, published by Prestel, and was named as the trophy designer of the 2025 BRIT Award. In 2023 he held his debut solo exhibition at 180 Studios, London and has exhibited in Chicago, Milan, Paris, South Korea, New York City and Arles.
Having grown up in South London, British-Nigerian Moses feels a certain pressure to pay homage to his predecessors: “There’s so much success [in south London] that came way before me, there’s a legacy,” he tells me, which made him feel, when he was growing up, as if he was “meant to do things.” His work certainly reflects the cultural hybridity of South London life and a distinctly British-African identity, with work featuring cultural figures and peers such as Little Simz and Skepta. His frames are usually filled with bold women who demand space and attention – a tribute to the women who have shaped him, especially his grandmother, mother, and sister, and he takes cue from ‘leading-lady’ figures of the Noughties such as the Sugababes, which his Renaissance-like image of four women in coloured mini dresses purposefully echoes.
With over 70 photographs and 10 films showcasing his work across fashion, music and sport, Selah is a somewhat spiritual journey – and definitely an enticing one – which asks you to commit to and stick with it, but without feeling over-stretched or repetitive. Perhaps this is owing to the immersive nature of the show which demands you forget the outside world and invest your senses in the world of the photographer.
Moses has managed to fine-tune a formula which allows him to easily stand out from a photographic and cultural crowd which is both noisy and oversaturated. With everyone fighting for a place at the top, Moses is sure of himself. “I’ve been working non stop since I was 18,” he tells me. “It’s the right time to celebrate the work I’ve done so far, on this scale.”
