Ukrainian artist, filmmaker, and photographer Olena Hrom was born in Donetsk. In April 2014, due to the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, she was forced to leave her hometown. Since 2017, Olena has been living in Bucha. She has focused on territories affected by military aggression, documenting the lives of civilians in frontline and “grey” zones, as well as the stories of refugees, internally displaced persons, and victims of war.
Olena sees her mission in the necessity of documenting the lives of people who find themselves in conditions of war and uncertainty and, through art, telling the human dimension of wartime events. At the same time, her work is not limited to depicting pain or loss. One of the key themes of her practice is human resilience — the ability to continue living and to preserve humanity even in the most difficult circumstances.
Olena Hrom has participated in more than 100 international exhibitions, including both solo and group projects. Her photographs have been exhibited in countries across Europe, the Americas, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Australia, India, Mexico, Cuba, Malaysia, and beyond. Hrom is a laureate and winner of numerous international photography competitions. She has been awarded the title “Photographer of the Year” three times at prestigious international awards. In 2026, Olena Hrom also became a laureate of the National Taras Shevchenko Prize of Ukraine in the field of photography.
