Judges
Cortona On The Move / BarTur Grant​​​​​
Supported by Visual Storytellers Fund
2025 WINNER: EMERGING PHOTOGRAPER
Anya Tsaruk
Anya Tsaruk is a Ukrainian photographer based in Berlin. Following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, her work now focuses on the themes of identity, trauma, migration, and community. Through photography, she aims to raise awareness about the war in her homeland and honour the resilience and strength of people impacted by it.
"I Hope Your Family is Safe" is a project about my loved ones living in Ukraine, inspired by the well-meaning but unsettling phrase often said to me by foreigners. The work explores the layered and uncertain meaning of ‘safety’ in a country in war. The project challenges mainstream representations of contemporary Ukraine, offering a narrative grounded in love, hope, and resilience. Through it, I aim to contribute a piece to the mosaic of Ukrainian identity — my vision of Ukraine, one that reflects my people's bravery, vulnerability, defiance, and desire for freedom. With a tender and intimate approach, I hope to challenge the “othering” of people at war and evoke empathy that is rooted not in pity, but in shared human experiences.
Your project, I Hope Your Family is Safe, seems deeply personal, reflecting your own concerns and experiences. What motivated you to explore this concept of 'safety' and its layered meanings, especially in the context of your loved ones in Ukraine?
What motivated me to dive into the concept of “safety” was the well‑meaning yet unsettling phrase I often hear from people abroad when they get to know my origin: “I hope your family is safe.” And to which, even today, I cannot give a simple, definitive answer. I try to search for it through a visual language that allows me to speak in a more complex way than a simple “yes” or “no.”
You’ve said that your work challenges mainstream representations of Ukraine. How does I Hope Your Family is Safe contribute to a different, more intimate narrative about your homeland and its people?
I want to show Ukraine as I know and see it. Not only through the prism of destruction, death, and sorrow — by which my homeland is often associated abroad — but also through its beauty, the courage of my people, their striving for freedom, and the love and hope which persist even in times of war. This is what Ukrainians are fighting for, and what Russia is trying to destroy.
'I Hope your Family is Safe'
Part 1: Interview with Anya Tsaruk
Your work challenges mainstream portrayals of Ukraine. How did you decide on the visual language and aesthetic to convey a narrative grounded in both love and defiance?
My visual language is filled with the softness, respect, and care that I feel toward my people and my country. I like to think of photography as an embrace: a gesture of quiet presence, closeness, and empathy.
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The choice of tool is also important — I work with a medium-format analogue camera. It forces me to slow down and carefully compose each frame, limits the number of shots, and stays at waist level rather than becoming a barrier in front of my face. This creates space for silence, observation, and deeper connection — both with my subjects and with my own inner state.
What role does intimate, tender photography play in breaking down the “othering” of people affected by war, and how do you strive to foster empathy in your viewers?
My project aims to broaden the visual associations that arise with the word “Ukraine”, which are often narrowly reduced to images of ruin and death. I hope to challenge the imagined “othering” of people whose lives have been deeply affected by war through photographs that highlight universal human connections. The world has seen many shocking images of destroyed Ukrainian cities, victims of Russian attacks, and war crimes. These photographs are extremely important — they document russian crimes and convey the realities of war. But even in images that depict the everyday lives of Ukrainians, this tragic context is present. It becomes a backdrop that amplifies the emotional impact of photographs of love, beauty, human closeness, and care for one another.
