Gilles Peress is one of the most esteemed documentary photographers of his generation. Born in France, Peress made his first photographic series in 1970, having previously studied political science and philosophy in Paris. He soon joined Magnum Photos, the international cooperative photography agency committed to documenting world events, people, places, daily life, and culture.

This exhibition features selected photographs Peress made in the 1970s and 1980s that bear witness to the ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland. Commonly called “The Troubles,” this political and nationalistic struggle saw the Unionist, mostly Protestant majority in Northern Ireland, who pledged loyalty to the United Kingdom, in violent conflict with Irish nationalists and republicans, mostly Irish Catholics, who sought a re-united Ireland. The violent civil unrest persisted from the late 1960s until the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

Peress employs a humanist aesthetic in his photographs, portraying his subjects with respect and compassion. His images reveal a poignant manifestation of the human condition, reflecting his belief that photography holds the power to illuminate human suffering and inspire empathy.