Biography
Born in 1943 in the village of Senkevichivka, Ukraine, Bohdan Holomíček relocated with his parents in 1947 to Mladé Buky, then part of Czechoslovakia. At the age of fourteen, he received a Soviet-made Smena camera and ten rolls of 35mm film as a Christmas gift—all of which he used that very evening. From his adolescence until his retirement as an electrician, Holomíček meticulously documented his own life, as well as a significant chapter in the cultural and political history of the Czech Republic. Since 1995, he has continued his work as an independent photographer.
“Bohdan Holomíček is a rare phenomenon in Czech culture. He is the photographer of friendly get-togethers, capturing optimistic situations, moments of kindness, and flashes of love, with the magical contribution of light.” This is how Czech photography historian and curator Anna Fárová described Holomíček’s work. His extensive photographic serves as both an intimate diary and a collective memory of extraordinary moments in everyday life, recorded in the manner of a visual diary open to the viewer.
A hallmark of Holomíček’s artistic language practice is the interplay between image and text. Adhering to a consistent formal approach, he retains the black frame of the photographic print and utilizes the remaining margins to inscribe annotations. These handwritten notes—ranging from factual descriptions to personal reflections—interweave with the image, enriching its narrative. He has photographed a multitude of individuals, ranging from the most ordinary to key figures of Czech dissidence and cultural life.
Since the late 1960s, his work has been exhibited widely in the Czech Republic and throughout Europe. In the late 1980s, Holomíček began to explore larger-scale prints, arranging images side by side and one below another, creating unified visual narratives. In 2009, the Rencontres d’Arles dedicated an exhibition to his photographic archive of Václav Havel—his neighbour and lifelong friend. He is now using digital technology in his work, and is increasingly interested in audiovisual projections. Several volumes of his work have been published by the Czech publishing house Torst.
Portfolio
Josef K. and his diary, Prague Castle, 1993
All photographs © Bohdan Holomíček
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