World-renowned Canadian-Ukrainian photographer Edward Burtynsky is pleased to present the international premiere of Ukrainian photographer Maxim Dondyuk’s White Series: Meditations on War in partnership with CONTACT Gallery.

The exhibition showcases ten hauntingly beautiful photographs and two high resolution murals, all created during the winter months between 2022-2024, on liberated territories of Ukraine that had previously been occupied by Russian forces. Revealed in a palette of harsh whites, chilled greys, and muted browns, the images of Dondyuk’s White Series demand a breathless kind of contemplation, leaving little room to ignore the stark realities of how both our internal and external landscapes respond to what is left behind after war.

The artist states: “A glance at this destruction is like looking into eternity, where everything has vanished. There is no past or future, only emptiness that neither changes nor heals. We are consumed by a moment that has no beginning or end, and this moment is not just a pause, but the tyranny of destruction.

Emptiness does not demand to be filled — it invites. In its quiet the path reveals itself, where destruction and creation are two faces of the same whole. If we learn to dwell in this silence, we may discover that emptiness is not absence but a field of possibility.”

In the days following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian-Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky launched a fundraiser to support humanitarian relief efforts. With matching funds from the Canadian government, the initiative raised over $600,000 CAD for those impacted by the war.

In the course of that work, Burtynsky also sought out Ukrainian artists whose voices could bring the realities of the conflict to the world through photography. Among them, he was profoundly moved by the work of Maxim Dondyuk, whose images reflect both the devastation of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

Since that time, Burtynsky has supported Dondyuk as a sponsor, mentor, and collaborator, recognizing in him a kindred artistic vision and a shared belief in the power of photography to bear witness to urgent moments in history.

This exhibition at CONTACT Gallery is the culmination of that ongoing patronage. Burtynsky is honoured to introduce Dondyuk’s haunting and unflinching images to Toronto audiences at a time when it is essential not to turn away from the ongoing war in Ukraine. He warmly invites you to join him in experiencing this important body of work, and in reflecting on the stories it holds.

The exhibition will be complemented by a fundraising campaign, where 50% of proceeds from the sale of a special donation edition (25 prints, $1,500.00 CAD each) of White Series #02, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Winter 2023 will be donated to UA.Ants, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that unites volunteers from all over Ukraine.

Special thanks goes to Charles M. Stone and Elise Xu for their support of this exhibition.

• Maxim Dondyuk (b.1983, Ukraine, maximdondyuk.com) is a research-based photographer and artist who combines fieldwork, historical inquiry, and personal reflections with the medium of photography, video, text, and archival materials. His regular interests include history, memory, conflict, and their enduring impact. His recent projects examine the meanings of war, nuclear energy, and their impact on human perception. His work has received international acclaim, marked by prestigious awards including the 2022 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography, being named International Photographer of the Year at the Lucie Awards, and becoming a finalist for the Prix Pictet Photography Prize. His art has been exhibited worldwide, in venues such as the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris, Somerset House in London, MAXXI National Museum of XXI Century Arts in Rome, the House of Lucie in Budapest, International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum in Geneva, and L’Arsenal in Bastia among others.