When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it upended the established world order, beginning the largest conflict on European soil since the Second World War. Yet Ukrainians have been forced to adapt regardless. Across the country, schools have gone underground, with lessons taking place in basements and online. Buildings have been converted into rehabilitation centers, stabilization points, and makeshift hospitals to deal with the overwhelming number of injuries sustained on the front lines. I have watched as families move beds into hallways or to underground shelters to escape shelling—spending sleepless nights listening to explosions, hoping their homes will be there in the morning. It is a war that is fought not only in trenches but in kitchens and coffee shops, bedrooms and schools, offices and playgrounds. The people of Ukraine, exhausted, displaced, and grieving, have not given up, determined to endure, to rebuild, and to go on living. They embrace calmness and fortitude, even as they face some of the darkest days of the war. They dance, sing and gather to celebrate love. It is this collective persistence that is the focus of When the Smoke Clears. Some of Ukraine’s most powerful stories are taking place far from the frontline, rarely reported on in international headlines or news broadcasts because they are woven inextricably into the daily lives of ordinary Ukrainians. This project seeks to illuminate these quiet moments, which all too often go unseen.
Artist Bios
-
Svet Jacqueline
Svet Jacqueline is a documentary photographer raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Photography from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. As a child adopted from Kirov, Russia, at a young age, her work focuses on the impact of trauma and displacement experienced by families and young adults in conflict zones. She has participated in the Eddie Adams Workshop, the Missouri Photo Workshop, and the VII Foundry workshop. She is a photo essayist in the books, Relentless Courage: Ukraine And The World At War, and Ukraine: A War Crime, published by Fotoevidence. She was awarded the 2026 Lucie Scholarship, shortlisted for the Mary Stafford reportage grant, received the Yunghi Grant in 2022, and was recently awarded the Global Focus award at Xposure. Recent solo exhibitions were at the Leica Gallery, Boston, the American Center for Photography, and Xposure in Sharjah, Dubai. She lives in Kyiv, working with The Wall Street Journal and Leica Camera, and is represented by Zuma Press.
Organizations
-
Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
-
The Lucie Scholarship Fund
To honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide, sharing the stories behind powerful images and supporting photographers through programs like the Lucie Awards, scholarships, and exhibitions.
When the Smoke Clears
Featuring: Svet Jacqueline
Curated by: Sarah Leen Kathy Moran Svet Jacqueline
Locations
View Location Details Download a detailed map of this location Brooklyn Bridge Park – Emily Warren Roebling Plaza1 Water St
Brooklyn, NY 11201
This location is part of Brooklyn Bridge Park
Explore other locations and exhibitions nearby
The views and opinions expressed in this exhibit are those of the exhibition artists and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Photoville or any other participants and partners of the Photoville Festival.
