The photographs of Eliška Kyselková (Czech Republic), are more than simple representations of beauty or adequate pictorial compositions. Eliška’s photos ask questions. They give us a peek inside her world and show us her take on life. Her themes range from beauty to religion and even touch on the current hyper-consumerist state of the world in which we live.
Eliška wants to change existing stereotypes about models so she strives for diversity in her mostly analog shoots, sometimes only with Polaroid, leading to some interesting esthetic results.
Her work has gained her notice and she’s already shown her work in New York, Paris, London, Sevastopol, the Czech Republic and in Slovakia. i-D Magazine, Wonderland, Elle or Vogue Italia have also showcased her work.
At So Catchy! Where Fashion Begins, we admire her ability to transmit the force and poetry that her images contain and we think you will too.
SO CATCHY!: What brought you to photography? And why fashion photography, specifically?
Eliška Kyselková: I started with photography at the end of my high school thanks to the photography competition. I realised that it’s something which fills me with happiness and excitement and I cant live without it. First, I studied BA course focused ‘only’ on photography but fashion was always important element in my work and I wanted to explore this medium further. That’s why I decided to arrive to London and study MA Fashion Photography (there are no such as courses in the Czech Republic).
SC!: What do you want to tell people with your work?
EK: I want to present the world from my perspective and point of view, show something which maybe only I can see. That’s why I like to play with forms, lines, light and perspective visually which forces the viewer to think twice about my imagery.
In terms of the message, I want raise awareness and fight against the use of stereotype models in the fashion industry by showing the diversity in my fashion editorials. In my personal projects, I comment on consumerism, current ideal of beauty and religious references. I want people to think about their future and heading in life.
SC!: Tell us about Awakening. Where did you find the inspiration, the designers and what was the goal?
EK: The Awakening was a very personal project for me. It is inspired by Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. The series is composed of 3 different parts: Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso. Each part was shot in different location to get the atmosphere of Dante’s piece. There is a lot of others artists included in this project. The location of Paradiso was shot in the installation of Korean artist Lee Bul, there are different paintings by emerging artists in Inferno and I worked with dancers and performers for some parts of the project.
I wanted to reveal the atmosphere of this literary piece and make the viewer think about the sense of our existence and the direction which might follow.
SC!: Your next project is…
EK: It is called Encounters – project with emerging painters and illustrators. More to come out soon!
And my next step is to start working with magazines such as i-D or Love and find an agency in London.
SC!: Is it difficult to make a living from fashion photography, especially being so young?
EK: Yes, it’s pretty difficult, because I’m freelancing at the moment and still working on personal projects. But I have enough of clients to cover my living costs and personal photoshoots.
SC!: Who are the fashion photographers that you admire?
EK: Tim Walker, Viviane Sassen and Olaf Breuning. Tim for everything from the light, concept till little amazing details, Viviane for the ability of seeing unseen and Olaf for his colours, originality and raw approach.
SC!: Who’s your favorite emerging fashion designer?
EK: There are so many of them! Robert Wun for his innovative shapes and colours (I’m also a big fan of his campaigns), Quoï Alexander and Krasimira Stoyneva for colours and material and Serena Gili for her special silhouette skirts. I also worked with great designers such as Olga Noronha, Maria Piankov or Desirée Slabik which I admire.
SC!: Fashion is in need of….
EK: Colours, life and diversity
SC!: You cannot stop wearing…
EK: High heels
SC!: A good fashion photograph must have….
EK: The emotion and story.
SC!: Fashion magazines, webs, blogs or Instagram accounts you follow.
EK: i-D, Dazed, Love, Off Black, SSAW, Elle, Vogue, Pylot, Pigeons&Peacocks,
SC!: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learnt as a photographer?
EK: Experiment and don’t give up!
Translation and Layout by Michael Padilla
Credits
All photos, from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, courtesy of Eliška Kyselková
You can follow her on Facebook or Instagram.
1. PURGATORIO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Photography, production and art direction: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Anya Oderyakova
Hair: Rebecca C. Amoroso for Salako
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya, Camera Ready Cosmetics™
Models: Maxine Anastasia, Lucy Feng, Karen Bengo, Michael Moon @TIAD, Hassan
Reese @Body London, Simon Gouldd, Daniel McCarroll
Photo assistants: Marion Bracque, Eva Huang, Prerna Adsul, Natascha
Law, Athena Thoma
Stylist assistant: Christelle Dahinden
Thank you to the Men at Work London for lending the stones
MAX, Dress and belt worn as a collar- all by MANUEL DIAZ
LUCY, Dress by MANUEL DIAZ
SIMON, Skirt by YIRANTIAN
2. INFERNO (from the series Awakening inspired by Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Production Eliska Kyselkova and Dara Udom
Photography, Art direction, Set design: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Dara Udom
Makeup: Bridie Tyler
Hair: Rebecca C Amoroso
Models: Emma Appleton@ D1 Models and Noemi Gunea
Assistants of Eliska Kyselkova: Argiel Del Mundo, Karel Vojkovský, Debarati Sanyal
Assistant of Dara Udom: Alma Terese
Styling:
Jumpsuit by Wilson PK.
3. INFERNO (from the series Awakening inspired by Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri)
Production Eliska Kyselkova and Dara Udom
Photography, art direction, set design Eliška Kyselková
Stylist Dara Udom
Makeup: Bridie Tyler
Hair: Rebecca C Amoroso
Model: Emma Appleton@ D1 Models
Model in the fabric Argiel del Mundo
Assistants of Eliška Kyselková: Argiel Del Mundo, Karel Vojkovský, Debarati Sanyal
Assistant of Dara Udom: Alma Terese
Artwork
Painted fabrics by Michael Moon
Styling
Shoes by Carolin Holzhuber
4. INFERNO (from the series Awakening inspired by Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Production: Eliska Kyselkova and Dara Udom
Photography, Art direction, Set design: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Dara Udom
Makeup: Bridie Tyler
Hair: Rebecca C Amoroso
Model: Noemi Gunea
Assistants of Eliška Kyselková: Argiel Del Mundo, Karel Vojkovský, Debarati Sanyal
Assistant of Dara Udom: Alma Terese
Artwork:
Hand painted fabric by Michael Moon
Styling:
Top stylists and photographers creation, skirt by Giovanni Paolini, shoes by Carolin Holzhuber
5. INFERNO (from the series Awakening inspired by Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Production: Eliska Kyselkova and Dara Udom
Photography, Art direction, Set design: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Dara Udom
Makeup: Bridie Tyler
Hair: Rebecca C Amoroso
Models: Emma Appleton@ D1 Models and Noemi Gunea
Assistants of Eliska Kyselkova: Argiel Del Mundo, Karel Vojkovský, Debarati Sanyal
Assistant of Dara Udom: Alma Terese
Styling:
All clothing by Serena Gili, Anklets by Pebble London
6. PURGATORIO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Photography, production and art direction: Eliška Kyselková / www.eliskys.com
Stylist: Anya Oderyakova
Hair: Rebecca C. Amoroso for Salako
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya, Camera Ready Cosmetics™
Models: Lucy Feng and Hassan Reese @Body London
Photography assistants: Marion Bracque, Eva Huang, Prerna Adsul, Natascha
Law, Athena Thoma
Assistant of stylist: Christelle Dahinden
Thank you to the Men at Work London for borrowing the stones
LUCY, Dress by MANUEL DIAZ, shoes by MIISTA
HASSAN, Shorts by SABINNA, glasses by CHIARA PAVAN STUDIO
7. PURGATORIO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Photography, Production and Art direction: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Anya Oderyakova
Hair: Rebecca C. Amoroso for Salako
Makeup artist: Ekaterina Novinskaya, Camera Ready Cosmetics™
Models: Michael Moon @TIAD
Photography assistants: Marion Bracque, Eva Huang, Prerna Adsul, Natascha
Law, Athena Thoma
Stylist assistant: Christelle Dahinden
Thank you to the Men at Work London for borrowing the stones
MOON, Skirt by YIRANTIAN, collar worn as belt by MANUEL DIAZ
8. PURGATORIO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Photography, Production and Art direction: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Anya Oderyakova
Hair: Rebecca C. Amoroso for Salako
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya, Camera Ready Cosmetics™
Models: Karen Bengo
Photography assistant: Marion Bracque, Eva Huang, Prerna Adsul, Natascha
Law, Athena Thoma
Stylist assistant: Christelle Dahinden
Thank you to the Men at Work London for borrowing the stones
KAREN
Body piece by Nicole Paskauskas
9. PURGATORIO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Photography, Production and Art direction: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Anya Oderyakova
Hair: Rebecca C. Amoroso for Salako
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya, Camera Ready Cosmetics™
Models: Maxine Anastasia, Lucy Feng
Photographry assistant: Marion Bracque, Eva Huang, Prerna Adsul, Natascha
Law, Athena Thoma
Stylist assistant: Christelle Dahinden
Thank you to the Men at Work London for borrowing the stones
MAXINE, Bra and panties-all by ID SARRIERI, neckpiece and elbow piece by OLGA NORONHA
LUCY, Corset by ID SARRIERI, headpiece by CHIARA PAVAN STUDIO
10. PARADISO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Large format photography, 4×5″ negative
Art direction & Photography : Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Alan Godd
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya
Hair art: Michael Moon
Assistants: Harumi Hirata, Simone Steenberg
Beatrice: Mulan @ Bookings
Souls: Michael Moon, Rinat Grigoraschenko, BAM, Alisa Antonova
Location: View of Lee Bul exhibition, Korean Cultural Centre UK, London, 2014
Thank you to the Korean Cultural Centre in London and to the artist Lee Bul
Styling:
Bracelet by Sadie Clayton, Leather piece by Jane Bowler, Skirt – Martina Spetlova, All jewellery – Sarah Jane Smyth
11. PARADISO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Medium format photography, 6×4.5cm negative
Art direction & Photography Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Alan Godd
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya
Hair: Michael Moon
Assistants: Harumi Hirata, Simone Steenberg
Beatrice: Mulan @ Bookings
Souls: Michael Moon, Rinat Grigoraschenko, BAM, Alisa Antonova
Location: View of Lee Bul exhibition, Korean Cultural Centre UK, London, 2014
Thank you to the Korean Cultural Centre in London and to the artist Lee Bul
Styling:
Head piece by Manuel Diaz
12. PARADISO (from the series Awakening inspired by the Divine Comedy)
Large format photography, negative 4×5″
Art direction & Photography: Eliška Kyselková
Stylist: Alan Godd
Still life set design: Andrea Katonova
Makeup: Ekaterina Novinskaya
Hair art: Michael Moon
Assistants: Harumi Hirata, Simone Steenberg
Beatrice: Mulan @ Bookings
Souls: Michael Moon, Rinat Grigoraschenko, BAM, Alisa Antonova
Location: View of Lee Bul exhibition, Korean Cultural Centre UK, London, 2014
Thank you to the Korean Cultural Centre in London and to the artist Lee Bul
Styling:
Head piece by Olga Noronha, dress by Mariana Jungmann
