As recent events demonstrate, Israel and its surrounding territories have been an area of contention and dispute since the country’s establishment in 1948.

In an exhibition at Bradford’s Impressions Gallery, Yaakov Israel takes us on a geographical and metaphorical journey across this complex land, offering one man’s viewpoint of the nation that shares his name.

The exhibition’s title was inspired by a chance encounter with a Palestinian man who rode past Yaakov, who was born in Jerusalem in 1974, as he was photographing near the Dead Sea.

Yaakov explained why he called his exhibition The Quest For The Man On The White Donkey. He said: “It was only after developing the photographic plate that I realised I had encountered my ‘Messiah’ – in Orthodox Jewish tradition, the Messiah (the Prophet) will arrive riding on a white donkey.”

Pippa Oldfield, head of programme at the Impressions Gallery said: “Yaakov’s large-scale meticulously-detailed images encourage us to appreciate the multi-faceted political and social state of this contested region, offering us a highly-personal insight into spaces often overlooked by the world’s media.

“His images evoke an incomplete utopia: an abandoned, overgrown swimming pool in the Northern Judean Desert indicates long standing neglect, a disconcerting armed presence at the Dead Sea Hilton reveals the tension commonplace in this landscape of uncertainty.

“Yaakov’s images are filled with allusions to barriers, both physical and metaphoric, which serve as a constant reminder of the unsettled and indeterminate nature of the country itself.”

Elsewhere, the photographer reveals the peace and tranquility that also exists, with images of everyday occurrences such as gathering herbs in Haifa, or a moment of solitude bathing in the Sea of Galilee.

These sights are so idyllic, you could almost forget that beyond the frame, a deep-seated conflict rages on.

The exhibition comes to Bradford courtesy of Margaret Street Gallery, London, and is on from January 18 to April 13. Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 11am to 6pm; Saturday 12pm to 5pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays.