Maryana Bodnar is a Ukrainian portrait photographer, visual artist, and educator. She works primarily in portraiture, focusing on themes of war, loss, motherhood, and psychological states. Her projects combine classical composition, expressive lighting, and a minimalist visual language.
Bodnar teaches portraiture, lighting, and postproduction at the Kyiv School of Photography and explores the use of AI in artistic photography.
Maryana’s portraits are known for their powerful intimacy and painterly aesthetic. Whether working with actors, musicians, mothers of soldiers, or strangers, she creates space for sincerity and strength to showcase.
Bodnar's photographic projects often respond to the emotional landscape of wartime Ukraine. Her visual photo project “Don’t Be Silent. Captivity Kills”, a cycle of portraits created in collaboration with families of Azovstal defenders, explores a spectrum of deep emotions women feel when waiting and fighting for the freedom of the there dearests, who suffer in captivity of the enemy. Project was presented at the National Art Gallery of Ukraine and the Kosenko Art Gallery in Bucha.
Bodnar's photographic projects often respond to the emotional landscape of wartime Ukraine. Her visual photo project “Don’t Be Silent. Captivity Kills”, a cycle of portraits created in collaboration with families of Azovstal defenders, explores a spectrum of deep emotions women feel when waiting and fighting for the freedom of the there dearests, who suffer in captivity of the enemy. Project was presented at the National Art Gallery of Ukraine and the Kosenko Art Gallery in Bucha.
Her ongoing project “Lullaby. In the Embrace of War” explores motherhood during wartime, blending classical references with stark contemporary narratives. Shot in studio and on theatrical stages, the series draws from Caravaggesque light and iconographic minimalism to portray mothers whose sons have gone missing, been killed, or remain at the front. Here, the lullaby becomes both a memory and a symbol — a fragile thread of connection between mother and child across time, loss, and silence.
Combining technical mastery with a profound sense of humanity, Bodnar’s images invite viewers to witness vulnerability, resilience, and dignity—often within a single gaze. In 2022, her works were also exhibited at the “Art@theGrange” for The Grange Festival in England, amplifying Ukrainian voices through visual storytelling.
Combining technical mastery with a profound sense of humanity, Bodnar’s images invite viewers to witness vulnerability, resilience, and dignity—often within a single gaze. In 2022, her works were also exhibited at the “Art@theGrange” for The Grange Festival in England, amplifying Ukrainian voices through visual storytelling.