Guardian Labs x Lily O’Brien’s Chocolates

Kateryna moved to Wotton-Under-Edge in Gloucestershire, shortly after her homeland Ukraine was invaded in 2022. She began the daunting process of building a new life for herself and her two young children, far away from her husband and other family members. Kateryna was very warmly welcomed into her new community. She has always loved Christmas but had no money for presents or decorations in her first year in the UK. The local community really pulled together and made sure that both herself and her kids had everything they needed.

At the time of shooting, it was Kateryna’s third Christmas in Wotton-Under-Edge, where she was a valued member of the community. It was a privilidge and a pleasure to be invited into Katerny’s home to photograph the unique blend of Ukrainian and British Christmas traditions that she celebrates with her children. They made a traditional Ukranian dish called ‘kutya’, and enjoyed wrapping presents together and decorating the tree. This was a commission for Guardian Labs and Lily O’Brien’s chocolates.