Drawing Ukraine: A discussion with Ella Baron

Drawing Ukraine: A discussion with Ella Baron

From War Studies by Department of War Studies

April 2, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

Ella Baron discusses her experiences as a political cartoonist in Ukraine and her exhibition 'Battles of the Mind'.

In May 2025 Ella Baron, a political cartoonist at The Guardian, travelled to Ukraine to record and reflect on the human impact of war. In collaboration with NGO Médecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), Ella met patients in a rehabilitation centre for war veterans in Cherkasy and a mental health clinic for internally displaced families in Vinnytsia. The Art & Conflict Hub is currently hosting an exhibition of the artwork Ella produced at the Arcade in Bush House until the end of April 2026, exploring the complex marks war leaves on the human body and mind. In this episode of the War Studies Podcast, Ella discusses her work as a political cartoonist and the exhibition "Battles of the Mind" with Dr Henry Redwood, co-convener for the MA in Political and Strategic Communications, and co-lead of the Art and Conflict Hub at the Department for War Studies. Experience "Battles of the Mind" at King’s: https://bit.ly/4m33AIe You can find below the full Guardian article, and links to Ella's socials: https://bit.ly/4m6GQHv X: @ebaroncartoons IG: @ella_baron

People in this episode

Host: Dr Henry Redwood

Guest: Ella Baron

Topics covered

  • political cartooning
  • human impact of war
  • mental health
  • art exhibitions
  • war veterans
  • internal displacement

Keywords

  • political cartoonist
  • Ukraine
  • war impact
  • mental health
  • art exhibition
  • Cherkasy
  • Vinnytsia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Guardian, Médecins Sans Frontieres, Art & Conflict Hub

Books & works: Battles of the Mind

Places: Ukraine, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, King’s

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