Release by Verlag Kettler of Testament ’22 – A Visual Road Diary Through a War Zone by Byron Smith.
Testament ’22 is Byron Smith’s searing debut monograph documenting his 10,000-mile journey across battle-torn Ukraine during the country’s first year under Russia’s unprovoked invasion. Inspired by the late Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko’s literary legacy, Smith captures an intimate yet varied portrait of a nation at war.
Smith’s unwavering images bear witness to the staggering human cost of war—grieving mothers, shattered communities amid ruin—while also celebrating Ukraine’s tenacious spirit and resilience against unspeakable tragedy. From Kyiv’s devastated suburbs to newly liberated villages, Smith’s compelling black and white and color photographs etch an image in the viewer’s mind that ensures these sacrifices will not be forgotten.
Contributing to the overwhelming evidence of Russian crimes, these profoundly moving portraits feature a text by Kyiv Independent reporter Igor Kossov, with whom Smith collaborated on frontline dispatches. The half Ukrainian, half Russian international correspondent had been working in Ukraine for three years. When the invasion became inevitable, he decided to stay, committing himself to document the unfolding events.
His accompanying essay provides a powerful narrative that complements the visual storytelling. “The photos within these pages bear witness to how Ukrainians lived through the 31st year of their independence, when the empire that had ruled them for centuries came to take it back”. An essential reminder that the costs extend far beyond the battlefield, Testament ’22 gives voice to the Ukrainians’ resilience homeland and to their fight for their beloved homeland.
Byron Smith (b. 1986, Brooklyn, N.Y.) is an internationally recognized, award-winning photographer whose work aims to capture the cause and lingering effects of conflict and migration and the echoing impact these issues have on the world. He has covered stories from conflict zones, including Iraq, Sudan, and Ukraine, to the political landscapes of Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan, and the United States. Byron’s work has been exhibited in major cities in the US, such as New York City, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and it extends internationally to the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Finland. A recipient of a Royal Photographic Society Documentary Photography Award, his work has been widely published in The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Getty Images, Le Monde, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and VICE.
Testament ’22 – A Visual Road Diary Through a War Zone
Published by Verlag Kettler
Essay by Igor Kossov, paintings by Victor Onyshchenko, illustrations by Karolina Gulshani
Design by Mattias Amnäs
Hardcover
192 pages, 108 color and 28 black & white photographs
Two paintings and five illustrations
18 x 24,4 cm
August 24, 2024 (Independence Day of Ukraine)
For more information, go to:
www.smittysbooks.com
https://www.byronsmithphoto.com
The publisher’s website is here: https://www.verlagkettler.de/de/buecher/byron-smith/.
