Beloved Ukraine

Paul Chesley comes from a family of inventors, artists, and adventurers who encouraged exploration into the unknown. By the time Chesley was in his mid-twenties, he realised that he could make a larger contribution to life through his photography. For the next four decades, beginning in the early 1970s, he completed more than 35 projects around the world with the National Geographic Society. He also freelanced for numerous American and international publications. He was honoured by the inclusion of his work in the Society’s first major exhibition, The Art of Photography at National Geographic: A 100 Year Retrospective, at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. Solo exhibitions of his work have appeared in museums in London, Tokyo, New York, and Honolulu. In December 2012, during the National Geographic Society’s 125th anniversary, Chesley’s work was included in their exhibition and auction at Christies’s in New York City. His greatest enjoyment is capturing the lives of people and cultures in his international projects.