Fictions and the Self

The Photographs of Patrick R. Nagatani

Curated by Aidan Plummer (MA 2025)

Fictions and the Self mines the University of Denver Art Collection to present the photography of the late New Mexico-based photographer Patrick Ryoichi Nagatani (1945-2017). Featuring works from the 1980s through the early 2000s, the exhibition explores how Nagatani’s highly saturated and meticulously staged images offer a potent social critique, prompting viewers to reflect on how the images and narratives we consume shape our sense of self and our place within history. Decades after these images were made, this conversation remains urgent as the evolving media landscape continues to transform the ways information is constructed, understood, and internalized.  

On view in the Davis Gallery September 18 through October 12, 2025.

Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, September 25 at 5 PM.