BIO
Ron Haviv is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, award-winning photojournalist, and co-founder of the photo agency VII, dedicated to documenting conflict and raising human rights issues around the globe. He is also the co-founder of the non-profit VII Foundation, which concentrates on documentary projects and provides free visual journalism education.
His first photography book, Blood and Honey: A Balkan War Journal, was called “One of the best non-fiction books of the year,” by The Los Angeles Times and “A chilling but vastly important record of a people’s suffering,” by Newsweek. His other monographs are Afghanistan: The Road to Kabul, Haiti: 12 January 2010, The Lost Rolls and Shadow of Memory.
Haviv has produced an unflinching record of the injustices of war covering over twenty-five conflicts and his photography has had singular impact. His work in the Balkans, which spanned over a decade of conflict, was used as evidence to indict and convict war criminals at the international tribunal in The Hague. President George H.W Bush cited Haviv’s chilling photographs documenting paramilitary violence in Panama as one of the reasons for the 1989 American intervention.
His work is in the collections of The Getty, Eastman House and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston amongst others and has been seen in numerous other museums and galleries, including the Louvre, United Nations, Council on Foreign Relations, Fotografiska, and the International Center of Photography.
Haviv has co-created multi-platform projects for Doctors Without Borders' DR Congo: The Forgotten War and Starved for Attention, Unicef's Child Alert for Darfur and Sri Lanka and the International Committee of the Red Cross's World at War. His commercial clients include Ad Council, American Express, BAE, Canon USA, ESPN, IBM and Volkswagen.
Haviv is the central character in six documentary films, including National Geographic Explorer’s Freelance in a World of Risk, in which he speaks about the dangers of combat photography, including his numerous detentions and close calls. He has provided expert analysis and commentary on ABC World News, BBC, CNN, NPR, MSNBC, NBC Nightly News, Good Morning America, and The Charlie Rose Show. He has written opinion pieces for the Washington Post and The New York Times and spoken at TEDx along with numerous other lectures at Universities and conferences.
He is currently co-directing two documentaries, Biography of a Photo and Picasso of Harlem.
Bio photo/John Stanmeyer/VII
Selected Award Recognition
American Photography (2024,2023,2022,2018,2015-11 2009-08,2005-04,2002)
Art of Photography (2012,2008-07)
Bar Tur Award (2022)
British Journalism Award Shortlist (2022)
Clio Award (Shortlist 2019)
Communication Arts (2017, 2011)
Emmy Award Nomination (2012)
German Lieder Picture of the Year (1999)
Gold Pencil One Show (2005)
Graphis (2022,2008-07)
IPA (2012,2011)
International Motion Art Award (2022,2012)
Leica Medal of Excellence (1989)
NPPA Innovation Award (2023)
Overseas Press Club Award (2001,1989)
PDN Annual (2012-11,2006-2004,2002,2000)
Px3 (2022-Photographer of the Year, 2012, 2011)
Picture of the Year (2008,2001,1995,1991,1989)
Press Awards Shortlist (2022)
S.A.B.E.W. (2013)
Unicef Photo of Year (2022)
World Press Photo (1991,1989)
Selected Museum Collections
The Getty, Los Angeles, California
Museum of Fine Arts Houston-Texas
Fotografiska-Stockholm, Sweden
George Eastman House- New York
Southeastern Museum of Photography-Florida
Selected Solo Exhibitions
Lost Rolls
MOPLA, Los Angeles, California (2018)
Photoville, Brooklyn, New York (2017)
BlackEye Gallery, Sydney, Australia (2016)
Haiti: January 12, 2010
Wittenberg University, Dayton, Ohio (2012)
Fotografiska Museum, Stockholm, Sweden (2012)
Fovea Gallery, New York (2010)
VII Gallery, New York (2010)
Not in Our Name
Springfield Museum of Arts, Dayton, Ohio (2012)
Testimony
Anastastia Photo, New York (2013)
Warner Gallery, Millbrook School, New York (2013)
Children of Darfur
San Francisco Mission Cultural Center(2008)
New Orleans Human Rights Film Festival (2008)
University of California, Los Angeles (2006)
The United Nations, New York (2005)
Blood and Honey: A Balkan War Journal
Galerija 11/07/95, Sarajevo, Bosnia (2015-2016)
War Photo Museum, Croatia (2003-2017)
South Eastern Museum of Photography, Florida (2005)
Queen’s Museum, Belfast N.Ireland (2005)
Rex Cultural House, Belgrade, Serbia (2002)
Freedom Forum, London, UK (2001)
Skopje Cultural Museum, Macedonia (2001)
Sarajevo National Gallery, Bosnia(2000)
Saba Gallery, New York (2000)
Afghanistan: The Road to Kabul
Grazia Neri, Milan, Italy (2002)
92nd Street Y, NYC (2002)
Images of War
Bayeux, France (2001)
The Council on Foreign Relations, New York (1999)
Int. Festival of Photojournalism Gijon, Spain (1999)
The Newseum, New York (1997)
Fotofusion, Palm Beach, Florida (1996)
Visa Pour L'Image, Perpignan, France (1995)
Selected Group Exhibitions
Imagine:Reflections on Peace, Red Cross Museum, Geneva, Switzerland (2021)
Imagine: Reflections on Peace, Bayeaux, France (2020)
The VII Foundation, Photoville, Brooklyn, NY (2018)
MVP by VII, Photoville, Brooklyn, NY (2017)
MVP by VII, United Nations, New York (2015)
War Photography, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, USA (2012)
I See Griffin Museum, Boston, MA (2012)
Shadow of War Maison Européene Photographie, France (2011)
Congo/Women, United Nations, NYC,USA(2010)
Congo/Women, House of Parliament,UK(2010)
Questions Without Answers, Tufts University USA (2010)
Afghanistan Museum of Army Invalides, Paris, France (2010)
World At War, Newseum, Washington, D.C.,USA( 2009)
Our History Andre Malraux Center, Sarajevo (2009)
Humankind, Hasted Hunt NYC,USA(2008)
Darfur/Darfur Projections (2007-2010)
The Noorderlicht Photofestival- Act of Faith, NL(2007)
DR Congo: The Forgotten War Stephen Cohen Gallery USA (2006)
VII, Hasted Hunt NYC,USA(2005)
War Envoy, Verona, Italy (2005)
WAR, International Center of Photography, NYC ,USA(2004)
NY to Kabul, Louvre, Paris ,France (2002)
Monographs
Shadow of Memory
Mess (2021)
Blurb Books (2016)
de.MO Global Leadership Tufts University (2010)
Afghanistan: On The Road To Kabul
Motta Editore/Italy de.MO/USA (2002)
Blood and Honey: A Balkan War Journal
Umbrage/TV Books (2000)
Selected Group Books
Imagine: Reflections on Peace (2022)
Questions Without Answers (2012)
Darfur/Darfur (2008)
Congo: The Forgotten War (2006)
Rethink (2004)
War (2004)
Eye of War (2004)
Shooting Under Fire (2002)
Crimes of War (1999)
Films
River of Gold (2016)
The Art of War-Greek Public TV (2013)
There Is a Need for Photojournalists (2012)
Eyes of the World (2003)
Freelance in A World of Risk (2000)
The Balkans – Blood and Honey (2000)