Thomas Girondel

is a 37-year-old geographer and former natural risks officer working as an independent photojournalist and documentary photographer. He is distributed by INSTITUTE Artist. In 2014, he spent several weeks in Ukraine, where he documented life amid a conflict zone with his analog Fujica camera. His work Reaching Donetsk was exhibited in a solo show at the Espace Cosmopolis in Nantes. He returned to Ukraine many times to document the country’s transformation since the conflict broke out. In 2015 and continuing in 2016, he recorded various protest movements, both in France and Germany, as well as social issues in Eastern Europe. He then returned to his roots as a geographer by reporting on Seattle’s water-based community. After having completed an internship at the photo desk of Le Monde newspaper, he decided to focus on a long-term project on Yeu Island (2018 – 2021) to document the youth’s perceptions of freedom on a limited territory. In 2022 after the Russian invasion, he documented the genesis of a dedicated skateboarding school for Ukrainian refugees in Hanover, Germany. Suffering from PTSD due to the Donetsk 2014 memories, he preferred focusing on more positive than the anxiety-provoking breaking news images. His visual work has been featured internationally, including, among others, STERN Magazine, Telegraph Magazine, Financial Times, Süddeutsche Zeitung, the international editions of GEO, GoodWeekend Australia, De Standaard, Fluter, Zeit Leo, VICE Media, Rhythms Monthly, L’OBS, and Actes Sud publishing house. He can be reached at: [email protected]