George Butler

Final film in 10 Portraits x 10 Stories series. Mohamed, age 10, West Bank, 2016. We thought this story might one day feel outdated. Ten years later, it feels even more urgent. #Palestine #WestBank #Gaza

NEW SUBSTACK ARTICLE! How I discovered reportage drawing in a plastic surgery operating theatre. It was life drawing in the extreme — and I was completely fascinated. LINK: georgebutlerillustration.substack.com/p/how-i-discov…

Liza is a captain with Ukraine’s State Space Agency, tracking tank movements and radio activity through satellite imagery across eastern Ukraine. Watch her story: georgebutlerillustration.substack.com/p/liza-2023-ky…

NEW ARTICLE: Drawing in Ink on Location If you're interested in observational drawing, visual storytelling, or creative work from challenging environments, I hope you'll find it useful. georgebutlerillustration.substack.com/p/drawing-in-i…

#TED2026 exceeded all expectations—grateful to have been part of such an inspiring event. I’ll be sharing some reflections in the coming days, along with my full talk once it’s released. Stay tuned.

8/10 Ten Portraits x Ten Stories A story from 2017: Abdullo, Tajikistan Abdullo left Tajikistan for Moscow on a 4-day train journey to support his family. “2300 Miles to Work” captures a reality that still exists today.

Today's the day! I am speaking at TED2026 Vancouver

Tomorrow: I take the stage at TED2026. Big moment. I’ll post reflections, behind-the-scenes, and more on my Substack. Subscribe to hear more: georgebutlerillustration.substack.com

New post! open.substack.com/pub/georgebutl…

ANNOUNCEMENT: I've launched a Substack called BEHIND THE LINE. Stories of hope from behind the headlines, told slowly, humanely, and with dignity. Subscribers can expect interviews, visual essays, and dispatches from the frontline. Check it out! georgebutlerillustration.substack.com

Preparing for @TEDTalks TED2026: All of Us has been exciting but challenging. The hardest part is choosing which stories to share. One I’ve chosen is Oleg, from Ukraine, who I drew in 2024. This animation comes from that drawing. #TED2026 #AllOfUs #guineapig

5/10 Mustafa, IRAQ, 2017 A local artist in Hamam al Alil who secretly drew ISIS atrocities he witnessed. Beaten for it. Told to stop. He didn’t. Now his work is displayed as a reminder of what happened. #MustafaAlTaee #Iraq #ArtAsResistance #HumanRights #NeverForget

4/10 — Ten Portraits x Ten Stories I drew Tamara for Amnesty International in 2017 to shed light on the last place in the European continent that had the death penalty. This is her story. #AbolishTheDeathPenalty #HumanRights #TenPortraitsTenStories #ArtForImpact

Preparing for TED2026: All of Us (13–17 April, Vancouver).

3/10 — Ten Portraits x Ten Stories I met Khalid when he was 11 in a refugee camp. Just 20 days after his world changed, he told me: “I want to be a doctor… and protect my family.” One of the bravest people I’ve ever met.

2/10: Ten Portraits x Ten Stories. Mama Nazak, 62, Syria/Turkish border, 2012

1/10: Ten Portraits × Ten Stories. Unknown man, double amputee. Kabul, 2014.

Over the next few weeks: 10 Portraits. 10 Stories. Ten drawings from the past decade. Ten human encounters I’ve never forgotten. I’ll be sharing short videos reflecting on the conversations behind each portrait. Stay tuned.

Excited to share that I’ll be speaking at TED2026 in Vancouver! Honoured to be part of such an inspiring lineup — looking forward to the conversations and ideas ahead. #TED2026

@ScottMichels1 @RetroReport @KnowableMag @PerneInAGyre @NewYorker @nataliekeyssar @RollingStone Pulitzer Center’s Director of Strategic Partnerships Nathalie Applewhite selected the story "In the Silences Between Caution and Hope" by @george_butler, published in @VQR, for the #PulitzerStaffPicks 2025. 👉 bit.ly/YIStories25