Wieden & Kennedy hosts Ukraine then-and-now photographic exhibition

Photos of Ukraine taken before and after the Russian invasion are on display at Wieden & Kennedy London’s Hanbury Street gallery in east London.

“Ukraine now” brings together work created by 16 Ukrainian artists and is on public display until 31 May.

Curated by Kateryna Radchenko, the exhibition is supported by Photofusion and organised in partnership with Odesa Photo Days, a Ukrainian-based international festival of contemporary photography.

Visitors of the exhibition can expect to see hard-hitting and thought-provoking images of the destruction and human cost of the war in Ukraine. 

The project aims to raise funds for The Depths of Art, a Ukrainian charity supporting those working in art, music, theatre, literature and cultural studies. 

People can donate through the exhibition’s JustGiving page or can buy prints through Photofusion.

“It’s important to show what is happening in Ukraine now,” Radchenko explained. “Yes, there are many international journalists in Ukraine, covering the events daily. However, there is a big difference between pictures taken by journalists, temporarily visiting, and photographers shooting in their home cities and towns. 

“The latter know the context and have no opportunity to go back home to a safe place after completing their assignment.”

Radchenko added: “We must tell our story to prevent it from happening ever again, or being silenced.”

Susan Hoffman, executive creative director at Wieden & Kennedy London, commented: “When I first saw the work of the Ukrainian artists, presented by Photofusion, I was overwhelmed by the power of the imagery and the strength of creativity through something as catastrophic as war. 

“I instantly wanted Wieden & Kennedy to help shine a spotlight on the Ukrainian community, who are boldly continuing to tell their stories through art.” 

Hoffman continued: “‘Ukraine Now' is an important public exhibition, which shows the real-time devastation of war from a unique, on-the-ground perspective but also highlights the unrelenting power of creativity."

The 16 artists that feature in the exhibition are Yurko Dyachyshyn, Andriy Lomakin, Volodymyr Petrov, Stas Yurchenko, Mykhaylo Palinchak, Elena Subach, Serhii Nuzhnenko, Viacheslav Ratynski, Yulia Chervinska, Oleksandr Navrotskyi, Alina Smutko, Sirhiy Hudak, Shilo Group, Pavlo Dorohoi, Igor Efimov and Kateryna Moskalyuk.