Bara Prasilova

Czech artist Bára Prášilová’s surrealist images hover on the verge of beauty and curiosity, somewhere between real and fictional situations. They are the product of both her exceptional sense of absurdity and her drive for perfection. The photographer leaves nothing to chance in working out her fantasy world – to perfection. Her meticulously planned photo shoots generally start from very detailed sketches, and they invariably make use of custom-made props and costumes that lend great authenticity to her work. Based on her photographs, Prášilová also creates equally striking, colourful and above all astute videos. In fact, in 2019 she received a prestigious Clio Award for her first TV commercial. Last year, she finally published her first book, Circles, a collection of her most striking work from the past 15 years.

works

Bára Prášilová has created a distinctive style that combines absurd humour, disturbing beauty, mild cruelty, boundless playfulness and her drive for excellence. Her visual world consists of imaginary recollections of what never happened and explorations of what could someday occur – if we only would give up on that irritating habit of imposing limits on ourselves. She is known for creating work that is both visually striking and emotionally telling. Her photographs are reflections on the relationship between nature, culture and people, and they are often as poetic as they are poignant. Moreover, Prášilová thinks she knows how her imaginative visions come about. She says she is inclined to believe in the unbelievable and therefore has access to the places in her brain where boundaries do not exist. For her, the moments when her ideas are born are the happiest.