Byron Smith (b. 1986, USA) is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning photographer whose work aims to capture the raw essence of conflict and migration in the hope of revealing the reverberating effects of these stories on the world. He has covered stories from conflict zones including Iraq, Sudan, and Ukraine, to the shifting political landscapes of Northern Ireland, Kazakhstan, and at home in the United States.
His work has been exhibited in major US cities including New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago, and internationally in the UK, Germany, Italy, Greece, Hungary, and Finland. His work has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Getty Images, Le Monde, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, Der Spiegel, and VICE Magazine.
He is currently participating in the 2023-24 cohort of the VII Mentor Program.
Testament ‘22 is a profound photographic documentation of Ukraine’s resilience during the first year of the Russian invasion. Byron Smith embarked on a grueling 10,000-mile journey across the country to capture the raw, unfiltered human experience of war through his lens.
Inspired by Taras Shevchenko’s literary legacy, Smith’s project goes beyond traditional war photography. His images reveal the deeply personal stories of the conflict – grieving mothers, shattered communities, and the unbreakable spirit of Ukrainians facing unprecedented challenges. From the devastated suburbs of Kyiv to recently liberated villages, each photograph is a powerful witness to human suffering and hope.
Smith has created a comprehensive visual narrative that illuminates the human dimension of the conflict. His photographs document destruction, resistance, courage, and the profound resilience of a nation fighting for its homeland.
The project has received international recognition, with exhibitions at the US Capitol and Oxford University, and earned Smith the Royal Photographic Society Documentary Photography Award in 2023. Through his work, Smith critically documents Russian aggression while celebrating the extraordinary strength and dignity of the Ukrainian people.
Testament ‘22 emerges as a transformative exploration of human endurance in the face of devastating conflict.
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