Vic Bakin is documenting Ukrainian youth in Kyiv’s de-occupied territories

Raised in the west of Ukraine and now based in Kyiv, visual artist and photographer Vic Bakin had his start in image making as a model photographer. But at the start of Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, he found himself shifting to the much broader field of documentary. Now, he finds himself capturing the recently de-occupied landscapes of Kyiv, with a focus on queer communities and youth subcultures, resulting in a collection of works that unite subjects in “a shared experience of coming of age”.

Last year, the photographer published his first monograph Epitome with Void, a photobook that combines “photographs from my own archive with recent images I’ve made in war-torn areas”, he says. “The project was printed entirely in my makeshift darkroom in Kyiv.” To produce no larger than palm sized prints, Vic put these images through a silver gelatin process – their liquid edges and ephemeral appearance the result of “remaining open to surprises and accidents”, he shares. “I’m never interested in the ‘perfect’ print.” The series was selected for The Ones to Watch by the British Journal of Photography and was a winner of the LensCulture photography awards 2024.

Now working on a new portrait series Hell was Full, Vic is documenting “those who defend Ukraine”, putting young soldiers into frame. “I photograph them in their safe places, whether it’s their home, hospital, hotel or rented apartment. Sometimes, I have just 15 minutes and a few shots to make a portrait. For me, the very quiet portraits in pretty quiet places give the space for reflection and deepen the feeling of the hell that awaits these soldiers on the frontlines,” he says.

When outlining his inspirations Vic shares: “I’m probably subconsciously influenced by a variety of great photographers,” but, in reality, the artist doesn’t spend much too much time looking at other photographs. “Life’s too short to just copy or repeat someone’s work, and not try to find your own voice,” he ends.