Photographer Helen Whittle has recently expressed her distress upon discovering that her photograph of her daughter has been used in a mural in Mariupol, Ukraine without her permission.
The mural was created by street artist Jorit and features a young girl with the flag colors of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic reflected in her eyes, accompanied by a bomb labeled “Nato” behind her.
Jorit defended his work, stating that it portrays a young girl from Donbas who grew up in the midst of war.
However, the controversy arose when social media users noticed the striking similarity between the mural’s subject and Whittle’s photograph, which had previously appeared on the cover of an Australian photography magazine.
Whittle took to social media to express her disappointment, clarifying that she was not contacted by the artist and does not give permission for her image to be used in this manner. She emphasized that her thoughts and opinions are not aligned with those reflected in the painting.
Jorit later claimed that he had stumbled upon Whittle’s photograph while searching for images of “pigtails” on Google. Although he admitted to redrawing certain elements to fit the artistic vision of the mural, he seemed dismissive of concerns regarding the unauthorized use of Whittle’s image, questioning, “And so what?”
Distressed by the situation, Whittle is seeking legal action against the artist for the unauthorized use of her daughter’s portrait.
She expressed her sadness and anger at an artist resorting to copying someone else’s work without seeking permission, while also lamenting the exploitative nature of her cherished photograph being used in this manner.
The controversy surrounding Jorit’s mural goes beyond the appropriation of Whittle’s photograph.
Critics argue that the artist is propagating Moscow’s view of the war in Ukraine, pointing out the painful reality of Russian forces dropping bombs that have taken the lives of numerous children in Mariupol.