Ukraine war photographs searching for normal on show in Belfast

Photographer Cathal McNaughton worked in Ukraine in 2023

Cushendall Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist Cathal McNaughton said he wanted to "scratch the surface" on a 2023 trip to Ukraine so people could "really see the results of war".

"There aren't many soldiers, machinery or explosions featured but... you can see that war is never far away.

"This is what life is like for the people of Ukraine."

McNaughton won the Pulitzer in 2018 for his work covering the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

His most recent work 'Searching for the Normal' is on display in Belfast Exposed.

McNaughton hopes it will highlight the "new normal" for people in Ukraine face living on the frontline of conflict.

Ukraine - Searching for the Normal exhibition is on display in Belfast Exposed

"It's one of the major stories of our time, and I want to be able to document that and see that for myself, through my own eyes," he told BBC News NI.

Currently a managing editor at EPA Images, one of the world's leading photojournalism organisations, McNaughton said he took a break from working in warzones after his Pulitzer win.

But seeing colleagues covering the war in Ukraine brought him back to the front line.

McNaughton's goal was to depict the lives of people living in a war-torn country

"I grew up during the Troubles, so conflict is inked on my soul. I think that growing up surrounded by warfare has shaped how I see things today and my interest in photojournalism," he said.

"A career in photojournalism means a lot of personal sacrifices and it takes over every aspect of your life but if your heart is in it, there's no feeling like it.

"When I went to Ukraine after my break, I adopted a different approach to my usual style of photography. I wanted to try and capture something less 'in your face' and do something slightly more subtle," he added.

His goal was to depict the lives of people living in a war-torn country, trying to maintain a normal life while dealing with the consequences of war at the same time.

"I hope the exhibition reawakens the people of Northern Ireland out of their slumber as to what is happening in Ukraine. It's too often forgotten in the media."