Ksenia Ivanova
Between the Trees
Russian-born and Berlin-based documentary photographer Ksenia Ivanova (*1990) explores themes of trauma and human connection in her work, which she investigates through multi-year, long-term storytelling. Before turning to photography, Ivanova studied 19th-century Russian literature and the visual poetics of Dostoevsky. The central themes of Russian literature continue to shape her narrative approach to this day.
In her long-term project Between the Trees (2019–2024), Ivanova examines the conflict in Georgia and its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia—territories recognized by most countries as Georgian land under Russian occupation. In the South Caucasus, fortified borders and geopolitical tensions have shaped a landscape defined by displacement and uncertainty. These borders are more than just physical barriers—they shape identities, divide communities, and erase collective memories.
Against the backdrop of growing protests against Russian influence, Between the Trees highlights how conflicts fracture land and family legacies and reveals the challenges displaced communities face in reclaiming their cultural heritage.
Ksenia Ivanova was a finalist for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award (2024) and Picture of the Year, Online Storytelling (2021) and won the Lucie Foundation Documentary Award (2023). Her projects have been published in The Washington Post, Courrier International, XXI Revue, and Der Spiegel. She has also worked for The New York Times, Zeit Online, Le Monde, Libération, and GEO France.
Ivanova’s work has been exhibited across Europe, including in Germany, Italy, and Lithuania. She is a member of Women Photograph and has participated in the Hamburg Portfolio Review and the New York Portfolio Review.