Ian Willms (b. 1985) is a freelance photojournalist represented by Panos Pictures, one of the world’s leading independent and award-winning photographic agencies. His multi-year photo essay projects have focused on diverse and untold stories of Indigenous sovereignty, ecological destruction, genocide and the collective psychological toll of the pandemic era. Ian believes in the practice of “post-documentary,” which often involves a deeper commitment of time and emotional investment than is typically afforded by the economic realities of the editorial industry.
Ian's ancestors fled violent persecution in Ukraine before settling in Canada, where Ian grew up in a subsidized apartment building for at-risk women. The undercurrent of empathy throughout Ian’s work stems from his formative years in a community with lived experiences in mental health, addiction, homelessness, poverty, racism and gender-based oppression.
Ian is a freelance contributor to National Geographic, The New York Times, TIME, GEO, New York Magazine, The Guardian Weekly and many others. His works have garnered support and accolades from The Eugene Smith Fund, World Press Photo, Sony World Photography Awards, Pictures of the Year International, The Canada Council for the Arts, the Lange-Taylor Prize et al, and been shown in exhibitions internationally. He lives in Toronto and has carried out editorial assignments and longterm projects around the world. Ian is represented by NAMARA Projects for commercial enquiries and print sales.
(Photo by Megan Delaire)