happenings

A Young Photographer’s First Solo Show

Photo: Vu Nguyen

On a recent Thursday night, a crowd of fashionable young New Yorkers gathered in a midtown art gallery to celebrate the 21-year-old photographer Gabriel Perez Silva. Also known as “Youngshot” on Instagram, Silva is something of a modern-age personal paparazzo: think Warhol’s candid Polaroids, but adapted for the Gen-Z age. Last year, he got his first break shooting for model Winnie Harlow’s Instagram account at the Met Gala. Capturing intimate behind-the-scenes photos of celebrities has since become a specialty — he’s now photographed the likes of Bella Hadid and Issa Rae.

At the Radiant Room, where his first solo show was on view for one night only, guests passed around mini instant film cameras under a string of bare Edison light bulbs, drinking cocktails that flashed with LED ice cubes.
Proceeds from the show will go to the Scoliosis Foundation Ghana, which works to raise awareness and assist people in Ghana who are affected by scoliosis, a condition that Silva has struggled with since childhood. “With awareness it can be prevented,” Silva said at the end of the party. “To raise awareness is great.” As guests trickled out the door, he helped rearrange a nearby table and popped the last balloons.

Photo: Vu Nguyen
From left: Photo: Vu NguyenPhoto: Vu Nguyen
From top: Photo: Vu NguyenPhoto: Vu Nguyen
A Young Photographer’s First Solo Show