From the streets of Delhi to the bathhouses of New York, Sunil Gupta has spent fifty years capturing the nuances of queer existence through his lens. Born in India and raised in Canada, Gupta relocated to the United Kingdom in 1978 after completing two years of study in New York. Since then, he has chronicled gay lives with an intent to redefine how photography can intersect fiction with reality, and public spaces with intimate moments.
Gupta’s work examines the evolution of human relationships against a backdrop of changing political and social landscapes. However, his commitment to visualizing queer desire has often come at a personal cost. He recalls that an exhibition held in India was forcibly closed by government authorities, and during his early years in Britain, he and fellow photographer Tessa Boffin faced hostility from curators who were visibly uncomfortable in their presence.
Despite these challenges, Gupta remained unapologetic about his identity. “We weren’t shy,” he noted. “We were queers in leather.” His provocative approach, which sometimes references the works of Romantic painters, has allowed him to create a body of work that is both deeply personal and politically resonant. As he prepares for an upcoming major show, Gupta looks back on the risks he took to make queer life visible.
‘Queers in leather’ — love that defiance! His work looks stunning and incredibly brave.
Did the Indian authorities really shut down his exhibition? I had no idea it got that hostile.
Fascinating how he blends fiction with reality to capture such raw, political truth. A true pioneer.