Forced to leave Russia, Mogutin was granted political asylum in the US with the support of Amnesty International and PEN American Center. This asylum to the US became the first to be granted based on homophobic prosecution. Upon his arrival in New York City, he shifted his focus to visual art and became an active member of the downtown art scene. Since 1999, his photography has been exhibited internationally and featured in a wide range of publications including "The New York Times", "The Village Voice", "i-D", "Visionaire", "L'Uomo Vogue", "Secret Behavior", and "BUTT".