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A new exhibition on the Upper East Side brings British photographer Giles Duley's work to a most incongruous location this spring. From May 12–24, "Distortion/Memory/Resilience/"—Duley's first New York retrospective—invites the public into a penthouse at Sutton Tower to view his exploration of the human cost of war.
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Once a fashion and music photographer, Duley shifted his focus to conflict zones, embedding himself in communities affected by war. In 2011, he stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan, losing both legs and an arm. That experience reshaped not only his life but his work, deepening his commitment to telling stories of survival, resilience and recovery.
Held high above the East River in one of Manhattan’s newest luxury residential buildings, the show reframes more than two decades of Duley’s work in a 4,600-square-foot penthouse where the setting becomes part of the contrast. The exhibition’s title reflects that evolution. Rather than presenting war as a series of isolated events, Distortion/Memory/Resilience/ draws connections across geography and time, emphasizing what Duley sees as a shared human thread running through conflict. The images focus less on destruction and more on the people navigating its aftermath.
Presented by JVP Development and Gamma Real Estate, the show is structured as a nontraditional retrospective, described as a “reimagining” that offers a new perspective on 20 years of Duley's work. In addition to his photographs, the exhibition will also include a recreated child’s room from a conflict zone and a camera obscura that projects the NYC skyline upside down into a domestic space
Alongside his photography, Duley is also the founder of the Legacy of War Foundation, which supports communities rebuilding after conflict. His humanitarian work has brought him into collaboration with figures like Angelina Jolie and artists including Banksy, though this exhibition puts his own creative voice front and center.
Viewings will be by appointment only. On top of the show, Duley will host private salon dinners on May 19 and May 21, where food becomes a storytelling device inspired by travels in Ukraine, Rwanda and Persia.