Bára Prášilová
Czech photographer Bára Prášilová has created a signature style that merges absurd humour, alarming beauty, playfulness, mild cruelty and her persistent passion for perfection. Her visual world consists of imaginary memories of what never happened and explorations of what could have happened if we had dropped the habit of drawing our limits. Her exquisite work has been recognized with numerous awards and exhibitions in the Czech Republic and abroad.
Bara’s surreal images balance on the edge of beauty and weirdness, somewhere in between real and fictional setups, originating from her sense of absurdity. She meticulously plans all her shoots and works with real props and objects, giving her subjects rare authenticity. Her detailed sketches, custom-made props and costumes are usually part of her exhibitions.
Prasilova agrees with alternative theories solving the question of how some visions come to mind. A combination of the unconscious and the way my brain processes it. I tend to believe in the unbelievable, which is why I got access to the places in my mind where boundaries don’t exist.
Bara believes in playing safe and never improvising. She will sketch out all of her ideas before starting a shoot. This process is also very challenging because it forces her to stay calm and focused. These moments when the ideas are born are also the happiest ones for her as she starts building her fantasy worlds.
including a Hasselblad Masters Award in 2014, Bara has received numerous awards, such as the winner of the Photographer of the Year in 2009 and 2011 by Czech Grand Design, and the prestigious Clio Awards awarded her first director’s feat bronze in 2019. Bara has collaborated with clients such as Ikea, Quiksilver, Hasselblad, The Czech National Theatre and Newsweek magazine.
Bara has branched out into the world of moving images, creating videos based on her stills, creating another outlet for her to build a new reality.
BOOKS:
Circles, (2022)
EXHIBITIONS:
PhotoSchweiz, Zurich, Switzerland 2022
NOOKART: Studio, Prague, CZ 2022
Circles: Czech Centre Sofia, Bulgaria 2021
Circles: The Old Palace at Blatna Castle, Blatna, CZ 2020
The Edge of Fiction: Deák 17 Gallery, Budapest 2020
AWARDS:
Clio Awards – bronze / Audiovisual category / New York, 2019
Gold Award – Art Directors Club Awards 2019, Photography category, Prague, 2019
Grand Prix of FotoFest Kosice 2017, Kosice, Slovakia
Hasselblad Master 2014, Gothenburg, Sweden
Winner of the Photographer of the year 2011 (Czech Grand Design), Prague, Czech Republic
