From October 2, 2026 to May 2, 2027, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris presents "Rafael Pavarotti, Photographer," the first major exhibition dedicated to this Brazilian photographer who, in just a few years, has become one of the most recognizable names in contemporary fashion. More than 130 prints trace his career, from his early editorial commissions to portraits of Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Beyoncé.
Rafael Pavarotti. Naomi Apajok for Balmain by Olivier Rousteing. fall-winter 2023
Rafael Pavarotti was born in 1993 in Belém, in the state of Pará, in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. He discovered photography at the age of 12 with his father's camera, photographing the beach and abandoned buildings of his city. The turning point came in 2004, while watching a video of the Christian Dior fashion show by John Galliano, themed around ancient Egypt: fashion was his calling. At 16, he embarked on a journey that took him from Rio to São Paulo, then to London, before settling in Paris in 2025.
His visual universe draws from his personal history: the women in his family, his grandmother's colorful objects, his father's crafts, and the Amazonian landscapes form the reservoir of images to which he constantly returns. From this material emerges an immediately identifiable aesthetic, where color, texture, and light serve a powerful affirmation of identity.
Rafael Pavarotti's visual language relies on intense colors that amplify the expressiveness of his models. He photographs female figures, whom he stages as empresses, goddesses, queens, or warriors, always aware of their power. This theatrical aesthetic, enhanced by haute couture accessories or those created by the artist himself, permeates both his fashion editorials and his portraits of celebrities: Beyoncé, Bad Bunny, Kate Moss, Rihanna, Harry Styles, and Madonna.
Of Afro-Brazilian descent, he asserts a political and social dimension in his work, through the representation of bodies long rendered invisible in fashion. "Color has always been more than just pigments for me," he confides. "It is an ancestor, a rhythm, a spirit, a memory." He currently collaborates with fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Balmain, Chanel, Dior, and Ferragamo.
Rafael Pavarotti, Bird of a Feather. Adhel Bol for W Magazine September 8, 2021 (outfit and accessory Balenciaga, styling Katie Grand, hair Anthony Turner, makeup Chiao Li Hsu, manicure Emily Rose)
The exhibition presents a selection blending commissioned and personal works, from early experiments to a series of male portraits published in Double Magazine in 2019. It notably revisits the 2022 British Vogue cover, the " As the World Turns" issue , which celebrated a new generation of models with multiple identities, including Adut Akech and Anok Yai. The exhibition also features historical figures in the representation of models of color, such as Donyale Luna, Beverly Johnson, and Naomi Campbell, and evokes the artist's collaborations with art directors like Feben and Ib Kamara, in the tradition of Virgil Abloh.
The exhibition concludes with Rafael Pavarotti's commitment to nature, echoing his native Amazon, opening up a broader reflection on the future of fashion, human relations, and the planet.
The exhibition is curated by Sébastien Quéquet, curator in charge of photographic collections, in a scenography designed by Ibby Njoya, a long-time collaborator of the artist.
Rafael Pavarotti, Nyaueth Riam for Bottega Veneta by Matthieu Blazy, British Vogue, September 2022
Rafael Pavarotti, photographer
Museum of Decorative Arts, 107 rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
From 2 October 2026 to 2 May 2027
Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 18pm, with extended hours until 21pm on Thursdays.
€15 full price / €10 reduced price / free for under 26s
madparis.fr/Rafael-Pavarotti-photographe
