Scars of the Living

Scars of the Living is an ongoing photographic project documenting a surgical campaign in M23-held territory in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, where decades of conflict have left communities facing displacement, violence and limited access to medical care.

The project follows surgeons and medical teams working to treat civilians and combatants wounded by the ongoing conflict, documenting both the intensity of surgery and the quieter moments surrounding it.

Through intimate portraits, operating-room photographs and scenes from daily life, Scars of the Living explores the physical consequences of war while focusing on the people who continue to live with its aftermath.

Rather than documenting conflict solely through the battlefield, the project looks at what happens afterwards: wounds being treated, bodies being repaired, and lives continuing despite the scars left by years of violence.