Viki Kollerova: The Art of Surreal Self-Portraits

Black and White Photography by Viki Kollerova

Viki Kollerova is a Slovakian photographer born in 1984. She studied language and for a couple of years worked as an English teacher. Her first touch with professional photography happened in 2009 – she used to be a model and then she started to experiment with the self-portraits. This opened her doors into the world of contemporary photography. Today, Viki’s contribution to artistic photography is well recognized, but she is probably the most famous for her black and white images of herself.

Nude and Surreal Self-Portraits

Viki Kollerova takes surreal self-portraits. The moment of uncertainty and no place to change photos in post-production makes the process even more interesting – it is a big challenge for the photographer to shoot with film over a digital camera. Viki’s images show women’s nude body transformed and surrounded by mystical landscapes of Slovakia and Portugal. These abstract photos recall our imagination. They sometimes show only blurred lines and curves, a body shape that couldn’t be clearly seen, or it shows a fusion with objects from the environment. For Viki, photography is a medium and a way of self-recognition, and for this reason, photography is not only her job but also a way of living.

Self-Exploration

“Self-exploration is crucial“, says Viki. The exhibition NoBody came from the photographer’s self-exploration of her own body, inspired by the closest friends. The search and the meaning of the photos are different for everyone.

I have tried to disappear from the world in a peaceful way, realizing that this is what will actually happen when our lives come to an end.

Viki’s inspiration comes from everyday life – from the people and the environment that surrounds her, but also from the work of the visual artist Man Ray. But her main source of inspiration comes from her emotions and thoughts.