Paula Naughton is an Irish curator and gallery director based in New York. She has been a Senior Director at James Cohan Gallery since 2018. In addition to her role at the gallery, Naughton is an independent curator. Her research and curatorial practice considers the contemporary legacies of colonialism and explores art practices that transmit alternative modes of knowledge.
Naughton is founder of a multimedia documentary project, The Chagos Research Initiative, in collaboration with The Chagos Refugees Group. Through processes of collecting, creating, and curating, The Chagos Research Initiative brings into question the role and power of photography as a colonizing tool and aims to give voice to the Chagos community.
Naughton holds a BA from The National College of Art And Design, Dublin and an M.A. from Central Saint Martin's, London. Curatorial exhibitions include Clement Siatous, NADA House, New York (2021); Liquid State Machine, Beverly's, New York (2018); The Chagos Embassy of Puerto Rico, Embajada, San Juan (2016); Sagren, Simon Preston Gallery, New York (2015); and The Mind Was Dreaming, The World Was Its Dream at Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin (2014).
