brad walls' photo series captures resilience, solitude, and complexities of displacement

conflict to canvas: brad walls reimagines displacement

In his latest series, Displaced, acclaimed photographer Brad Walls sparks a profound exploration of displacement, grounded in a narrative that weaves emotion and identity into every frame. The works were capturing during Walls’ journey through Mexico last year, spotlights a lesser-known territory — the Don Kohl Football Stadium in Cabo San Lucas. Displaced delves into the complex journeys of individuals rooted from their homes, inspired by stories of resilience amid conflicts prevalent in today’s world. Drawing from masters like Andreas Gursky and George Byrne, the photographer particularly captures the duality of repetition and solitude, mirrored in the architectural confines of the stadium.

all images by Brad Walls

the photo series captures repetition and solitude

The conception of Displaced traces back to Brad Walls’ encounter with Valerie Marienko, a Ukrainian model who fled her war-stricken home in Odessa in 2021. Marienko’s story of resilience as she struggled with adapting to a new environment while grappling with the memories of home inspired Walls’ creative vision. Through meticulous composition and deliberate color palettes, the photographer infuses each frame with a spectrum of conflicting emotions, from passion to emptiness and isolation. The images  together convey a cohesive visual narrative, resonating with the complexities of displacement and the resilience of the human spirit.

an exploration of displacement, grounded in a narrative that weaves emotion and identity into every frame

Don Kohl Football Stadium in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, serves as the backdrop

Brad Walls captures the duality of repetition and solitude, mirrored in the architectural confines of the stadium

Displaced delves into the complex journeys of individuals rooted from their homes

inspired by stories of resilience amid conflicts prevalent in today’s world

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each frame is infused with a spectrum of conflicting emotions, from passion to emptiness and isolation

inspired by Valerie Marienko’s story of resilience as she struggled with adapting after fleeing Ukraine

project info:

name: Displaced

designer: Brad Walls

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom