Sasha, 2020
‘Sasha was born and raised in Mariupol, Donetsk region, Ukraine. His mother survived the occupation in Irpin. His father was listed dead for some time due to a mistake, but did survive the horrors of Mariupol. I made this photograph way before, in the summer of 2020. I first printed it in 2023 after I found it in my archive. Since then it has become one of the most recognisable pictures of the project. The unusual crop is informed by my interest in his stare, not his identity. Later, his skull features became the cover for the book’
