RICHMOND, Va. — An upcoming gallery exhibition will showcase photographs of civilians and soldiers living amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
"Each of these photos has a story to it," said Noah Stone, the photographer behind the work. "There are stories upon stories for all of these."
His exhibition, titled The Grey Zone, opens on Saturday for all to see the many faces of the war in Ukraine.
"It really brought a lot of perspective of how people are so similar there but are experiencing something we couldn’t imagine here, back home," Stone said.
Back home is Dinwiddie County, where Noah was born and raised. His time in Ukraine started after graduating from Liberty University and going on a mission trip to Ukraine with his church in Lynchburg.
"We were in Ukraine and traveled across the whole country for about two weeks. That trip really changed my life," Stone said.
So much so that Stone took two more trips to Ukraine, documenting the people and the war while also documenting a nonprofit providing aid to those in need.
"While we were there, we delivered supplies to about 300 people that day and once we left, we got word that the Russian Army had seen we were giving out supplies and bombed the entire neighborhood, including where we were set up the day before," Stone said. "It's a heavy thing to carry, going through these situations, knowing I have the luxury and freedom of being back home to safety afterwards, to where the people in those moments are there full-time."
One of Stone's photographs includes a soldier whose arm was severely damaged.
"And this was me visiting him in a hospital off the front lines," Stone recalled.
Some pictures hold names captured in time.
"Like this one, the one with all the signatures on it. This is a sign outside of the entrance to one of the regions that’s been under the heaviest fighting the whole entire war," Stone said. "I would say a good portion of the people that signed this did not make it back down the road on the way out."
The photography exhibit takes time to plan out. Now seeing the pictures in this setting, Stone hopes those who come to see them understand what he feels and what he is trying to show.
"These photos have kinda turned into a focus on the quiet moments of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers and moments in between the chaos," Stone said. "Between war and peace. Dark and light."
Ryan Lauterio, founder and director of Shockoe Art Space, spoke to the uniqueness of the exhibition.
"This was an incredible opportunity to support someone who's taking a great risk, to get their images, to bring them out, who's not exploiting the war but bringing forward, I think, life in the midst of war. And I think if there's something to be seen, it’s that," Lauterio said.
'The Grey Zone' will open on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 2 to 5 p.m. at Shockoe Art Space (12 N 19th Street).
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