Christopher Nunn
Ukraine 2013-2015
This on-going series began in February 2013 when I travelled to Ukraine following a thread of family history to the sleeper town of Kalush, the birthplace of my then-ailing grandmother. She left at 14 before arriving in England as a displaced person after World War II. Never intending to document my own family history, I simply used this geographical starting point, together with its inherent themes of histories, shifting borders, displacement and memory as a framework in which to explore Ukraine. Over time my journey shifted from west to east Ukraine, where I found my self by chance in early 2014 during the early stages of unrest, and where I continued to work as the region plummeted into all-out conflict. The majority of my work over the following 15 months was made within the conflict zone but took a more measured approach to the mass media reporting and focused on the periphery of Ukraine’s crisis in a wider sense. This project became a naturally evolving piece of work and a deeply personal journey that was shaped by the people I met whilst traveling, and ultimately by the country’s decent into chaos.
Bio
Christopher Nunn is a Yorkshire based photographer who divides his time between England and Ukraine. He graduated from Bradford College in 2004 with a degree in photography. Chris’ photographs have been exhibited throughout the UK and internationally, and recent press includes It’s Nice That, Business Insider, CNN Photos and Esquire Russia.
Intriguing essay, one that makes me wonder about things I know I will never find out. Like the pistol. In the course of life, I see many guns and pictures of guns and even fire them myself from time to time, but for some reason I cannot quite figure out why, when I look at this picture, I feel a great curiosity about who has shot what/who with this gun has shot in a way I don’t ever recall a simple picture of a gun causing me to do before.
And of course who could help but wonder why that van is lying on its side, burning, figures of onlookers barely? What is the relationship between the two girls hugging? What will it be in the future? The woman sitting on the cotlooks like she could live in Wasilla. We have many Russian, Ukrainian and other Soviet Block immigrants here. In November, I shot the wedding of a beautiful young immigrant who has older relatives who look much like her. Where do their bloodlines cross? I am not a wedding photographer, but she used to be a barista, served me often and really wanted me to take her wedding pictures.
And then there are the two cats… but of course cats always present people with many questions they will never be able to answer. Maybe the holiday season has rendered all Burnians mute. I, for one, admire this set of photographs.
Hey, Civi – now would be a good time for you to appear!