‘Civilian military training, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2022’ by IPE 166 exhibitor Aria Shahrokhshahi
“Photography helps me understand the world,” says Aria Shahrokhshahi on a chilly morning in London, hours before travelling to the community he has found in Ukraine.
“Growing up in a Nottingham-based Iranian household made me curious about the ways people operate within the structures they exist in.”
Shahrokhshahi, an exhibitor in the upcoming RPS International Photography Exhibition 166, first visited Ukraine on holiday in 2019. He photographed the country’s culture and Soviet past while immersing himself in its underground tattoo and club scene. Enamoured by Ukraine’s vivacity and national identity, Shahrokhshahi returned there in 2020 and 2021, each visit strengthening connections to the community forming around him.
“My photography is driven by meaningful connections,” he says. “The friendships I’ve forged, and my love of Ukraine’s culture and people, has seen me document the country’s shifting national identity.”
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, Shahrokhshahi began volunteering for the non-governmental organisations Base UA and the Kyiv-based Livyj Bereh to help rebuild houses, evacuate citizens and support children living close to the frontline at cities Mykolaivka and Druzhkivka.
“I have a life in Ukraine now,” he says. “I’ve got friends and a community I surround myself with. I help because it’s the right thing to do. And ethically, how could I take pictures of Ukraine without giving back to the country I’ve grown to love?”
‘Military academy, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2024’ by Aria Shahrokhshahi
The photographer documents the resilience of the Ukrainian people and the beauty still to be found in mundane life even under long-lasting conflict.
“I've got no interest in being labelled a war photographer,” explains Shahrokhshahi. “Inspired by works like Nigel Shafran’s Washing Up project, I’m more interested in capturing the everyday beauty that exists in the normality of this extreme environment.”
Shahrokhshahi has compiled his work in Ukraine so far in Sketchbook exhibitions and accompanying zines, allowing him to reflect on how Ukraine has changed since first visiting.
“I’ve seen dramatic changes in Ukrainian national identity over the past six years – from the music people listen to and the clothes worn to the languages spoken,” he says. “There’s a stronger sense of national pride fuelling the country’s fight for freedom and deeper understanding of the oppression of Ukrainian culture. I want to show what it means to be Ukrainian today.”
Shahrokhshahi is the fifth exhibitor in the RPS International Photography Exhibition 166 to be profiled by the RPS Journal. You can discover the work of four others in the April-June edition of the magazine for members of the Royal Photographic Society.
‘Cry “Havoc!”, and let slip the dogs of war, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2022’ by Aria Shahrokhshahi
The RPS International Photography Exhibition 166 is at Saatchi Gallery, London, from 5 August to 6 September before touring. IPE 167 is open for submissions from September 2025.
The RPS Journal is available exclusively to members. Join us to receive our award-winning magazine and read more inspiring features. Explore full member benefits here.