'Darkness and Light'
A week at the Ukrainian/ Polish border
In the winter of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. What followed was Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II, with over 8 million Ukrainians fleeing their homeland. Many of these refugees, mostly women and children, crossed into Poland. As an artist I felt compelled to be there on the ground, to tell their stories.
Through my portraits series "Depicting the Invisible" which shines a light on veteran suicide and PTSD, I understand the importance of telling stories of those forever changed by the brutality of war and the moral trauma that can follow in its aftermath. I thought I knew what to expect when I arrived at the Ukrainian/Polish border, but I was truly amazed and inspired by what I saw. I witnessed the worst of humanity, and simultaneously the best of humanity. The emotion overcame me one morning while I was photographing at the border. Passover was approaching, and I decided to visit the Polin Museum in Warsaw: 1000 years of Jewish life in Poland. In the section documenting the Holocaust, I was haunted to see that the archival images of those Jewish refugees were nearly identical to the Ukrainian refugees I had shot that very day, 80 years later. I suddenly understood my portrait series in a deeper historical context. As for my Ukrainian subjects, I was moved to tell the stories of both those who chose to remain in their homeland and those who decided to flee. However, I did not expect to discover another group of subjects whose stories insisted on being told: The Polish citizens saving the lives of fleeing Ukrainians. I call them super heroes. I have identified these heroes by their 'nom de guerre' - the names they use in war time to stay anonymous for the safety of their families. They are known as The Ghost, The Translator, The Angel from Warsaw, The Underground Railroad, and The Mayor of Tent City. They are all extraordinary citizens who left their jobs and comfortable lives behind to show up on the border and do whatever it took to secure and welcome in 4 million refugees in mere weeks. Incorporated into each of these portraits are layers of photographic imagery, both archival and contemporary. Images of the holocaust are layered with images of refugees today. Ukrainians who have decided to stay in their homeland are documenting the destruction and war crimes they witness. They upload these images to a cloud and wipe their phones in case they were captured by the Russians. Many such Ukrainians have shared these images with me, as well as selfies, and they are also incorporated into this series. Each 72in x 72in mixed media work on canvas is also layered with text recounting the story of the subject in their own words. "Darkness and Light" documents the stories of twenty-two people whose lives have been forever changed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their stories demand we bear witness. |
The Angel from Warsaw
72 in x 72 in Mixed Media on Canvas | 2022 History repeats itself
72 in x 72 in Mixed Media on Canvas | 2022 The Ghost
72 in x 72 in Mixed Media on Canvas | 2022 The Translator
72 in x 72 in Mixed Media on Canvas | 2022 |
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