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Petra Skoupilová

Petra Skoupilová (1944 in Brno) studies reproduction photography. Skoupilová is from 70years, one of the main Czech photographers of fashion, actors and musicians. Through her work as a secretary in the music company Supraphon she started photographing alternative fashion shows at Bertramka in Prague. 1984 she started as a free lance photographer. Petra Skoupilová always balanced her gradual foray into professional photography with personal work in which she focused woman as a personality – photogenic attributes were secondary.

Died in Prague in May 2023.

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Solo exhibitions

1972 Tylův památník, Kutná Hora
1985 Galerie Fotochema, Praha
1988 Městská galerie, Uherský Brod
1991 Malá galerie spořitelny, Kladno
1996 Galerie u Řečických, Praha
2004 Galerie Fronta, Praha
2005 Galerie města Blanska
2006 Orlická galerie, Rychnov nad Kněžnou
2007 Malá galerie spořitelny, Kladno
2007 Galerie Chagall, Ostrava
2010 Galerie Kinsky, Kostelec nad Orlicí
2014 Nikon gallery, Praha
2014 Schüttkasten galerie, Primmersdorf, Austria
2016 Písecká brána, Praha 6

Group exhibitions

1979 Bertramka, Praha
1980 Výstavní síň B.Rejta, Louny
1983 Ženy z Prahy, Fotochema, Hradec Králové
1987 Aktualni fotografie ”Okamžik”, MG Brno, G4 Cheb
1989 Současná užitá fotografie,galerie “D“, Praha
1990 Autoportrét II, Kladno
1994 Česká fotografie 1989 – 1994
1995 Czech press photo, Praha
1998 Portrét – AF –Technické museum, Praha
2002 Národní museum fotografie, Jindřich.Hradec
2004 České centrum, Bratislava
2005 Česká fotografie 20.století, Městská knihovna, Praha
2007 Fotografie 70.tých let, Bílý jednorožec, Klatovy
2012 Tichá žena, galerie Fotograf, Praha
2012-13 Element F., Moravská galerie, Brno
2015 Berlanga fine art, Chicago, USA, “European edge“
2016 Berlanga fine art, Chicago, USA, “Les Femmes“

Literature and sources

Revue fotografie 1985, L.Šolc
Portret v Čs.fotografii 80tych rokov, Phdr.M.Stachová-Bezúchová, katalog
Aktualni fotografie/Okamžik, A. Dufek
Výtvarnictvo-fotografie-film 1990
Fotografie 1991, Věra Matějů
Advance 2000, P.Scheufler
Foto-video 2001, P.Scheufler
Fotografie 2001
Fotografie 2003
Atelier 2004, Anna Fárová
MFDnes 04, Josef Chuchma
Akt 23fotografů - Zoner press
ČT24 Kulturama 2012 (Pavel Vančát - Tichá žena)
Právo - srpen 2014 - Jan Šída
Lidové noviny - 9.9.2014 - Josef Chuchma
Fashion is a message - Milan Knížák 2015

Represented in Collection

UMPRUM muzeum, Praha
Moravská galerie, Brno
Národní muzeum fotografie Jindřich.Hradec
Galerie Rondo, Hradec Králové
Galerie La femme, Praha
Bruce Adams, Chicago, USA
In private collections at home and abroad

Petra Skoupilová 's photographs are dedicated almost exclusively to women, their nature and beauty as seen by a sensitive and understanding female eye. In contrast to male photographers she choses a natural, non studio environment creating a quiet symbioses of female solidarity .Of key significance for Skoupilová was her exhibition at Fotochema Gallery in 1985,prepared in collaboration with Anna Fárová. That exhibition definitely confirmed the photographer's unique handwriting originating from a number of sources: the 19th century studio portrait,the geometrical dictionary of the avant-garde and the romantic arranged photography of the 1970s. Petra Skoupilova's work is rare in its concept which always compensates poetry and romanticism with the purely female, non- pathetic sensitivity that guarantees her a unique position in Czech photography.

Nikon gallery Prague 2014 – text excerpt – curator Pavel Vančát

The Mysterious beauty of Petra Skoupilova's women

I will always be most interested in those photographers who have reached unity with their inner self in their creation. The means and what they deal with are not important: what is important is their commitment and the veracity of their personal story. This has occurred several times in happy moments of Czech photography. When I look at somebody's work, I am looking for unity of author and his work, for unity of his personality and his deepest engagement to the creation, when the work becomes an inevitable life-need, not just a mere product of one's profession. This is what determines for me a real photographer.

Anna Fárová 1985