Apple Shines a Spotlight on Joy in Three Simultaneous Photo Exhibitions

Acclaimed photographers Inez and Vinoodh, Mickalene Thomas, and Trunk Xu will each debut a new series of images shot entirely on iPhone 17 Pro Max for Apple’s simultaneous “Joy, in 3 Parts” exhibitions. Curated by Kathy Ryan, the director of photography at The New York Times Magazine for 39 years, the trio of shows demonstrates the diversity of photographic exploration by the creators and the technical capabilities of the new iPhone’s three 48MP Fusion cameras. While the London exhibit will remain invitation-only, New York and Shanghai will open to the public this Friday through Sunday—allowing visitors to step into each visionary’s depiction of joy through photography.

Inez and Vinoodh’s contribution follows their son, Charles Matadin, and his girlfriend, Natalie Brumley, in Marfa, Texas, where intimate portraits unfold against the evocative desert backdrops. The project highlights how the iPhone’s camera enabled the duo to capture subtle light and detail while maintaining a sense of closeness with their sitters. For Inez and Vinoodh, the work reflects not only a love story but also their belief that every photograph they take serves as a form of self-portrait.

For her series, Thomas penned a visual love letter to Black joy within Brooklyn’s Fort Greene Park. “I envision a world where rest is not a reward, but a right; where softness is not weakness, but a radical form of power,” the artist shared in her statement. “This project allowed me to capture these ideas with a new appreciation for immediacy. The iPhone allowed me to document fleeting, personal moments of quiet and connection, its accessibility making space for spontaneity. In this way, the process itself became part of the message.”

Snapshots of cinematic Los Angeles energy, Xu’s pieces provoke emotion through the choreographed collision of form and movement. The photographer manages to portray effervescent personality through every precise moment he captures. All three artists provided numerous works for the exhibition with their own editorial edge and a texture both imagined and technical. New York will be hosted at 456 W. 18th Street while Shanghai at Xintai Warehouse, No. 77 North Shanxi Road, Jing’an District.