Out of My Hands is a documentary project portraying teenage Ukrainian refugees rebuilding their lives in the UK. Beneath their everyday routines lies a silent weight of trauma and loss. Blending reportage and portraiture, the work reveals their resilience while challenging superficial impressions through collaborative storytelling and emotionally layered narratives imagery.

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Anemona Knut: Out of My Hands is a long-term documentary project exploring the lives of teenage girls who fled the war in Ukraine and are now rebuilding their futures in the UK. At first glance, they appear to be like any other teenagers—laughing, studying, making plans—but beneath the surface, they bear the burden of displacement, loss, and uncertainty.

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This project began with my personal experience of hosting a young Ukrainian refugee. Witnessing her struggle, which resulted in a mental breakdown requiring hospitalisation, made me realise how little we truly perceive beyond first impressions. Inspired by this, I began photographing Karina, Evelina, and Marina in April 2023—documenting their daily lives, relationships, and quiet moments of resilience.

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I work with both reportage and conceptual portraiture, often using film to create a timeless, intimate perspective. The images blend staged and candid elements, reflecting the tension between how these young women present themselves and the deeper emotional realities they hold within. This project is not merely documentation but also a collaboration. The girls play an active role in shaping their narrative, directing some of the images and contributing their own archival photos. Together, we construct a story that challenges assumptions, revealing what is often concealed. Out of My Hands invites the viewer to look deeper, to recognise the silent echoes of trauma, and to foster a greater sense of empathy and understanding for those compelled to start afresh.

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About

Anemona Knut was born in communist Poland to free-spirited artists, introduced to photography by her father and his old Praktica. She earned an MA in Communication and Journalism from the University of Warsaw and has published in major Polish outlets such as Newsweek and Gazeta Wyborcza. After moving to London in 2008, she developed expertise in business management. During the lockdown, she returned to documentary photography, focusing on human relationships and resilience. She works with digital and analogue photography, blending reportage with conceptual portraiture. In 2023, she began her studies at the Institute of Creative Photography in Opava.

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www.anemonkey.com