Amnon Gutman: The War in UkraIne
American Centers for Photographers
230 Goldsboro St S
Wilson, NC 27893
Opening Ocober 1, 2026
September 30 - November 1, 2026
The war in Ukraine actually began in 2014. This first part of this war was in the East of the country and was a consequence of the Maiden Uprising in Kyiv in late 2013 when large protests were sparked by the Ukrainian government’s decision to choose closer ties with Russia over the European Union.
With the full out invasion of the Ukraine by Russian forces on February 24, 2022, the fourth stage of the Ukrainian crisis has tragically arrived. No longer hiding behind the pretense of veiled language like “peace keeping mission” for the newly “recognized” regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, Russian troops were ordered to mount an invasion against the Ukrainian government. Continuing the work I had been doing since 2014, I witnessed the escalation of events as Putin’s misconceived and failed attempts to quickly replace Ukraine’s democratically chosen government turned into a war against the civilian population. With all the right reasons to defend their homes and their freedom, Ukrainians are fighting against an army whose reasons to fight their neighbors are diminishing rapidly. Having had to come to terms with this violently sudden shift in their perception of what their Russian neighbors are prepared to do, Ukrainians, no longer reeling from the shock, are mobilizing their fury as well as their fear to fight for their lives. 2022-2025/Ongoing
Photograph: Amnon Gutman
About the Photographer
Amnon Gutman is a photographer based between the Middle East and Europe and is dedicated to covering humanitarian and environmental stories all over the world. His work, recognised internationally, is published in Foreign Policy, The New York Times, Le Monde, Die Zeit, and The Guardian among others. He has collaborated with the ICRC, MSF and the UN in different countries around the world.
His awards include those from Bayeux-Calvados Award for War Correspondent, Pictures of the Year International (POYI), Unicef Photo Of The Year Award (POY), National Press Photographers Association (NPPA), Istanbul Photo Award and HIPA Photography Award. Gutman's photographs have been exhibited in the United States, Europe, Australia and Japan. His work is published in the book projects of Prix Pictet's Space and of Courier Japan's This Day of Change.
He is a member of #everydayclimatechange, a group of international photojournalists committed to informing the public about the global effects on human life from environmental degradation.
Growing up in a war-conflicted region, Gutman is deeply aware of the possibility of suffering and loss. Photography empowers him. His images point to the universality of vulnerability and fragility in the face of violence and disease as well as to the tenacity of the human spirit.