The magazine of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) has dedicated an issue to Ukrainian photographers who rethink their art in the context of war. The focus is on the works of Lisa Bukreeva from Kyiv, Olena Subach from Lviv, and Vladyslav Krasnoshchek from Kharkiv.
On February 24, 2022, the life of every Ukrainian changed forever. For photographers, this date became the point at which their art became a tool for documenting war crimes, destruction, and human stories. The article emphasizes that the new reality requires new visual languages that allow us to rethink the traumas we have experienced.
Kharkiv-based photographer Vladyslav Krasnoshchek is not only an artist but also an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Since the beginning of the war, he has remained in Kharkiv, which is under daily shelling. “I started documenting the war at the end of March 2022. Using black-and-white film, I divided the work into thematic categories: destruction, military equipment, soldiers, artillery, field hospitals, prisoners, the dead, animals and bridges. My goal is to cover these topics and collect the best images for the book,” says Krasnoshchek.
.png)
.png)
.png)
His photographs, taken on film, are reminiscent of footage from the Second World War. Previously, Vladyslav created surreal collages and experimented with techniques, but now he focuses exclusively on documenting reality without any visual interventions.
Lviv-based photographer Olena Subach is known for her bright, ironic works that explore the cultural peculiarities of Western Ukraine. Her Hidden series was the first project created during the full-scale war. “Hidden documents efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of Lviv. In the spring of 2022, museum workers and volunteers evacuated and hid artworks to save them from possible destruction. I filmed this process. Today, I see this project as a testament to the resilience of people who protect their heritage,” says the photographer.
.png)
Subach also created a series of photographs from the Ukrainian-Slovak border, where people set up makeshift resting places. Her photographs show scattered chairs symbolizing tension and brief moments of respite amidst the chaos of flight.
Kyiv-based Liza Bukreeva, who started out as a street photographer, also changed the focus of her work because of the war. Her War Diary project is a personal diary that combines textual observations with black-and-white photographs. “When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, I realized that I no longer distinguished between days. Everything merged into one long moment, and I started keeping a textual and visual diary. It helped me organize the world and my feelings,” says Bukreeva.
.png)
Today, Lisa has returned to street photography, but now her lens is focused on stories from destroyed cities and frontline villages. She continues to work on composition, but now her priority is to tell the story of life during the war.
Kateryna Radchenko, curator and founder of the Odesa Photo Days festival, emphasizes that photography in times of war goes beyond art: “War makes us rethink our identity and the very role of art. After three years of full-scale war, artists are just beginning to form a new aesthetic based on fear, post-traumatic stress, and daily struggle.”
The MoMA publication demonstrates how Ukrainian photographers are working in the midst of war, documenting contemporary realities and rethinking the role of art.
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
The magazine of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (MoMA) has dedicated an issue to Ukrainian photographers who rethink their art in the context of war. The focus is on the works of Lisa Bukreeva from Kyiv, Olena Subach from Lviv, and Vladyslav Krasnoshchek from Kharkiv.
On February 24, 2022, the life of every Ukrainian changed forever. For photographers, this date became the point at which their art became a tool for documenting war crimes, destruction, and human stories. The article emphasizes that the new reality requires new visual languages that allow us to rethink the traumas we have experienced.
Kharkiv-based photographer Vladyslav Krasnoshchek is not only an artist but also an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Since the beginning of the war, he has remained in Kharkiv, which is under daily shelling. “I started documenting the war at the end of March 2022. Using black-and-white film, I divided the work into thematic categories: destruction, military equipment, soldiers, artillery, field hospitals, prisoners, the dead, animals and bridges. My goal is to cover these topics and collect the best images for the book,” says Krasnoshchek.
His photographs, taken on film, are reminiscent of footage from the Second World War. Previously, Vladyslav created surreal collages and experimented with techniques, but now he focuses exclusively on documenting reality without any visual interventions.
Lviv-based photographer Olena Subach is known for her bright, ironic works that explore the cultural peculiarities of Western Ukraine. Her Hidden series was the first project created during the full-scale war. “Hidden documents efforts to preserve the cultural heritage of Lviv. In the spring of 2022, museum workers and volunteers evacuated and hid artworks to save them from possible destruction. I filmed this process. Today, I see this project as a testament to the resilience of people who protect their heritage,” says the photographer.
Subach also created a series of photographs from the Ukrainian-Slovak border, where people set up makeshift resting places. Her photographs show scattered chairs symbolizing tension and brief moments of respite amidst the chaos of flight.
Kyiv-based Liza Bukreeva, who started out as a street photographer, also changed the focus of her work because of the war. Her War Diary project is a personal diary that combines textual observations with black-and-white photographs. “When Russia launched a full-scale invasion, I realized that I no longer distinguished between days. Everything merged into one long moment, and I started keeping a textual and visual diary. It helped me organize the world and my feelings,” says Bukreeva.
Today, Lisa has returned to street photography, but now her lens is focused on stories from destroyed cities and frontline villages. She continues to work on composition, but now her priority is to tell the story of life during the war.
Kateryna Radchenko, curator and founder of the Odesa Photo Days festival, emphasizes that photography in times of war goes beyond art: “War makes us rethink our identity and the very role of art. After three years of full-scale war, artists are just beginning to form a new aesthetic based on fear, post-traumatic stress, and daily struggle.”
The MoMA publication demonstrates how Ukrainian photographers are working in the midst of war, documenting contemporary realities and rethinking the role of art.
We worked on the material:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Vira Labych
Editor-in-chief: Olga Kovaleva
Literary editor: Yulia Futey
Website manager: Vladyslav Kukhar
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
.jpg)
