Following on from the success of his debut art show “Where Do We Go From Here?” exhibited during London Frieze in October 2025, Duley presents his new exhibition, Distortion/Memory/Resilience/ at the prestigious Sutton Tower in New York.
Often working behind the scenes, focused on building his NGO, Legacy of War Foundation, Duley has built alliances and collaborations with the likes of Angelina Jolie, Banksy, Misha Collins and Massive Attack. Now though, it’s his creative work that takes centre stage.
“Everything is a story, and every story connected. Whilst many think of wars as separate entities and events; my work has always been to make the connections. Whether split geographically, historically, technologically or political; the human stories at the core of conflict are the same. These are the threads that connect us to each other and to our own past. My work is still a search for meaning amongst the unimaginable, to try and understand that which has no reason; this exhibition a moment to pause and share where I am on that journey.
From obsessive military history savant to ‘war’ photographer, landmine survivor to CEO of a foundation dedicated to rebuilding post-conflict communities. My life is shaped by war, but my purpose driven by love. A love and belief in humanity.”
- Giles Duley. Cambodia. April 2026
With thanks to our sponsors:
JVP Development, Gamma Real Estate and Kensington present Duley’s first New York retrospective, or rather a reimaging and new perspective on twenty years of documenting the impact of conflict. An exhibition in the prestigious Sutton Tower where, as artist in residence through NY Frieze, Duley reevaluates his past twenty years of documenting the impact of war, through the lens of today’s geopolitical landscape. Blending his images with his own memories of childhood visions of war, this a personal journey through global issues.
The immersive exhibition re-curates his documentary work, contrasting it with collected images from previous wars. The exhibition will also include new installations; one a recreated child’s room from Ukraine, and the other a room turned into a camera obscura, where the familiar skyline of NY is inverted and projected into a darkened bedroom, a reminder of how close the distorting reality of war is.
As with all his exhibitions, food and a shared table will play a central role. Over the course of the exhibition there will be a series of curated dinners in the style of the French salons of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Gatherings hosted to spark thoughtful conversation about culture, science, art, literature, and politics – a reimagining of salons from the era was called the “age of conversation.”
The dinners will be hosted on 19th, 20th and 21st May. For more information on the New York Salon and to book for one of the dinners please click here
The menu is designed by Duley (aka The One-Armed Chef) based on his travels. In his words “food is the greatest storyteller” and for these nights the food stories come from Ukraine, Persia and Rwanda. Dr Sofia Yatsyuk, a Ukrainian-British concert violinist, will be musician in residence for the dinners.
This will be Duley’s most ambitions show, at a time when his storytelling and empathy has never felt more vital.
“While some carry a weapon to fight, he carries his camera. With the same fire and determination of any soldier on a frontline defending his country or people; he shoots with his camera to defend and fight for humanity to win. For Empathy to win.
Wars and weapons of war have taken his limbs, challenged his humanity and could have broken his spirit. Thirty-seven surgeries and years on frontlines and you simply cannot break this man’s desire to fight for his fellow man. He fights for us all.
He’s a man I have learned so much from, a deep thoughtful soul who has restored my faith more than once, with his art he helps to reconnect us to each other. Above all, though he is an immensely talented creative.”
- Angelina Jolie. April 2026