A free photo exhibition featuring portraits of Ukrainians seriously injured in the war will open on Wednesday 4 November at the Belgian Red Cross Flanders headquarters in Mechelen.
Brave Faces of Resilience presents 24 striking portraits showing the human impact of the bombardments in Ukraine and the efforts of survivors to rebuild their lives. Photographer Yuliia Ovsiannikova captured both civilians and soldiers who were severely wounded during the war and are now undergoing long courses of surgery and rehabilitation.
While their injuries are visible, the exhibition focuses above all on recovery in a broader sense. It highlights not only physical healing, but also the struggle to return to work, see friends, spend time with family and regain a place in society.
"The war has changed these people’s lives profoundly, but their injuries do not define who they are," Ovsiannikova said. "With these portraits, I want to show their dignity and the courage it takes to find your place again in everyday life. I hope visitors in Mechelen will see the person behind each photograph, and not only the consequences of war.”
The exhibition has previously been shown in Brussels, including at Bozar and at the office of Minister Frank Vandenbroucke (Vooruit).
It has now been given a temporary home in the space next to the Belgian Red Cross Flanders donor centre in Mechelen, a location chosen for a specific reason.
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Belgian Red Cross Flanders is helping to strengthen the blood supply system in Ukraine, where demand for blood has risen sharply since the war began.
From the second year of the war, the need for blood increased by up to 60%, partly because blood institutions were damaged or destroyed and many donors fled the country. To support the response, Belgian Red Cross Flanders is working with the Belgian development agency Enabel on the reconstruction and modernisation of Ukraine’s blood system.
The organisation is sharing expertise in safe blood collection, quality control, processing and logistics.
Brave Faces of Resilience can be visited free of charge from Wednesday 4 November to Saturday 28 November during the donor centre’s opening hours. Visitors do not need to give blood or plasma to attend.
