In his photo essay, Karpov photographed and interviewed thousands of refugees who fled from their homeland from parts of the Middle East and Africa. Many of the refugees are escaping discrimination and terrible poverty, while others are fleeing from years of war and conflict — and horrifying stories of torture have emerged from those rescued. The men, women, and children were kept in cages for days, holed up in ditches, killed in cold blood, raped and tortured. In some respects, these refugees might be considered lucky since they made it safely out of Libya where their lives were in immediate danger. Thousands of others still remain in Libya enduring horrific violence. Karpov's book, A Small Corner of Hell, conveys on one hand a harsh reveal of a refugee crisis and yet, on another, an intimate journey in a new perspective; a fresh visual approach. Karpov saw that one of the most significant issues of our day was beginning to numb the world. He searched for a new language with which to tell the story he was witnessing — the story of how millions of people around the world are desperately searching only to fulfill their most basic needs.

A Small Corner of Hell - Karpov

Arkiv Paper, 2021
Design: Karpov & John Sippel
Printing: Andre Moore / Aa Printing and Publishing
110 pages / 72 Photographs
6.5"x9"