Human paintings come to life in this photo series

“I feel real creativity and strength come when you connect multiple types of art,” explains Czech photographer, Eliška Kyselková, as she discusses her desire to connect the dots between fashion, painting, performance and photography. Fixated with movement, the self-employed artist uses the body to bring her paintings alive, allowing the model’s character to freely move and reshape the identity of the artwork, as she believes, “real beauty comes with diversity and variety”.

Kyselková’s latest and ongoing project, Encounters – its film counterpart previously shown on SHOWStudio – grew from taking inspiration from a variation of paintings, drawings, and statues from a young age, giving her the incentive to collaborate with other artists and merge alternate platforms. For the series, she worked with London creatives including fashion designers Beth Postle, Krystyna Kozhoma, Caterina Schmitt, Jemma Beech and Nicole Brindle, as well as illustrators and painters like Katrine Roberts, Beth Eloise Fraser, Emily Howard, Moon, TingTing and Michaela Dvorakova. As she debuts her series exclusively on Dazed Digital, we talk to Kyselková to find out more.

“The idea behind this is that the models can awaken the artwork through the movement of their bodies” – Eliška Kyselková

What made you want to start this project?

Eliška Kyselková: I was looking for a way to use painting within my photography, and ‘Encounters’ was the answer.

How did you go about curating the people involved in this project?

Eliška Kyselková: Usually I use sketches and plan each photograph beforehand. With this project, however, I left much more space for improvisation. I wanted the poses to come from the movement of the models. I invited performers and dancers to act as models and left them to express themselves. Thanks to their movements, the painting on their bodies came alive.

In terms of the artists, I gave them pretty much free reign too. We just discussed the area for painting in relation to the fashion garment.

A key inspirational quote for this project is “The colours live a remarkable life of their own after they have been applied to the canvas” – can you explain this?

Eliška Kyselková: The idea behind this is that the models can awaken the artwork through the movement of their bodies. The painting or illustration becomes slightly distorted, but it brings the artwork and its colours to life. The body is the canvas and the skin of the models, and all of its imperfections, become an integral part of the painting.

What do you think movement brings to art? How important is it?

Eliška Kyselková: Dance and performance can present emotions and feelings. This personal expression proposes new ways of exploring how the body can be distorted and changed in order to find new possibilities.

One of your aims in this series is to challenge the standard poses and views of models – can you tell us more about your reasons behind this?

Eliška Kyselková: Eliška: In the fashion industry, there’s still a ‘standard’ type of model. I’m trying to challenge this. I believe real beauty comes with diversity and variety. I like to use the body as a piece of clay which can be reshaped with different poses or movements. I like to use, and see, the body as a structure.

“I like to use the body as a piece of clay which can be reshaped with different poses or movements. I like to use, and see, the body as a structure” – Eliška Kyselková

These photos bring art to life – what do you define as being alive?

Eliška Kyselková: The artwork painted on the skin is not static anymore. It suddenly connects with the models, with their breathing, and with every subtle movement. It suddenly becomes alive, tangible and in motion.

The gallery space, where the artwork is usually presented, is transferred to the studio where the one-shot performance takes place. The performance of each model lasts for short periods of time, so it’s important to capture the unique connection made between the static painting or illustration and the moving body.

See more of Eliška Kyselková on their website here 

Full credits: Photography and art direction Eliška Kyselková, styling Camielle Marchand, make up Lauren Reynolds, hair art Michael Moon, painters & illustrators Katrine Roberts, Beth Eloise Fraser, Emily Howard, Moon, Tingting, Michaela Dvorakova, fashion designers Beth Postle, Krystyna Kozhoma, Caterina Schmitt, Jemma Beech, Nicola Brindle, models, dancers & performers Moon, Devin Hentz, Emily Marthick, Lydia Chan, Ray Choy, Lauren Reynolds, Alice Pins, Emma Farnell-Watson Magdalena Pacova, Argiel Del Mundo, Camille Marchand, photography assistant: Argiel Del Mundo, styling assistant Gianluca Piro