“To me, photography is not just a visual art, but something closer to poetry - or at least to some poetry, such as the haiku.” Frank Horvat
Eva is a freelance illustrator and photographer based in Czechia. She was born and grew up in the mountainous region in Northern Slovakia from where she moved to Olomouc to study philosophy at the Palacky University. After earning her degree, Eva went on to establish a career as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator specializing in children´s literature.
Eva has been involved with photography since 2016, and for the past few years, it has become a primary medium for her creative expression. Her body of work examine the emotional resonance found in both intimate landscape and portrait photography. These two areas are closely intertwined in Eva´s artistic vision, often revealing a thematic narrative through their connection. Eva approaches portraits similarly to landscapes, seeking compositions, lines, shape, balance and textures that uncover what transcends mere appearance. In her landscapes, she captures vistas that resonate with our inner worlds, inviting both personal introspection and universal connections.
“Photography, for me, is a means of capturing a distilled version of reality. It serves as a tool to seek out and unveil purified connections, free from the noise of superficial information and stimuli that inundate our senses and experiences. Through the lens, I strive to isolate and reveal the essential elements that might otherwise go unnoticed in the chaos of everyday life.“
Eva´s photography is consistently bound with her profession as an illustrator. Through the use of techniques such as line work, drawing or collage, she is able to infuse her work with surreal and symbolic elements, blurring the lines between reality and imaginary.
As a photographer, Eva finds herself drawn to creating series/diptychs rather than single images. A series provides her with the opportunity to develop her concepts and articulate her aesthetic visions across a sequence of complementary images. By developing a series, Eva weaves together a visual theme that transcends the limitations of a single photograph, allowing to express her photographic intention in a more nuanced way.
Eva has received numerous international awards and her work has been featured in various magazines.
Extracted from an interview with Scott Reither, The Curated Landscape, 2025:
Eva Chupikova doesn’t see boundaries—she sees possibilities. Whether she’s capturing the stillness of a landscape, the quiet presence of a portrait, or the abstraction of shape and light, her work moves fluidly between genres. It’s not about categories. It’s about expression.
„Both genres allow me to express myself freely,” she told me, referring to her work in portraiture and landscapes. “It seems to me that it works well, I feel free and inspired in both areas.” There’s no restriction—only expansion. Each medium informs the other, feeding her artistic vision and sharpening her ability to see.
Her approach to photography is a journey, not a formula. “My inspiration flows from various sources of art, nature, and personal experiences,” she explained. This openness allows her to approach each image with fresh eyes. “It permanently motivates me to experiment and evolve.”
What makes Eva’s work so compelling is the way these different genres speak to each other within a single portfolio. Her landscapes are more than just scenic views—they are emotional landscapes, layered with texture and mood. Her portraits go beyond likeness, capturing something deeper—a moment, a presence, a feeling. And her abstract work strips photography down to its rawest elements—form, space, and light—pushing the boundaries of what an image can be.
Her ability to shift between genres keeps her work dynamic, allowing her to approach each subject with a unique perspective and fresh intent. “I can shoot a landscape, and later, a portrait, and find connections between them,” she said. “Each image is an experiment, a new way to express what I feel.”
Her portraits, for example, are not just shaped by her connection to the subject, but also by her understanding of the landscape. “A portrait should feel alive,” she told me. “It’s not about capturing a single expression—it’s about revealing something more lasting.”
Awards
● Monochrome Awards 2024, Grand Prize / Monochrome Discovery of the Year 2024, Anna
● ND Photo Awards 2024, ND People Discovery of the Year 2024, 1st place and Gold Star Award in Portrait Category, Anna
● 24th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards 2024, category winner/Women Seen by Women/Non-Pro section, series „Just Between Us“
● Minimalist Photography Awards 2024, 1st Place Winner / Minimalist Photographer Of The Year 2024, ´Anna´
● International Photography Awards 2024, 1st Place Winner in Fine Art/Collage category, series Teeming Grounds
● Prix de la Photographie Paris, 2024, 1st Place winner in Portraiture category, PX3 Portraiture Photographer of the Year 2024, ´Nevermore
● FotoSlovo 2024, Gold Medal, Portrait category, series Anna
● Czech Art Photo 2024, Cena za umělecký přínos fotografii
● Czech Art Photo 2024, bronz medal, Fine Art kategorie
● Fine Art Photography Awards, 2024, 1st Place Winner, Landscape category, Curves of Fjords
● Annual Photography Awards 2024, Third Place Winner, Fine Art/Conceptual, “Nevermore”
● ND Photo Awards 2023, 3rd place Bronze Star Award, Non-professional/Seascape, Waterscape category, “Net”
● International Photography Awards 2023, 3rd prize, Non-professional / Fine Art, Abstract, “Net”
● ND Photo Awards 2022, 1st place and Gold Star Award in Fine Art/Conceptual, ND Discovery of the Year 2022, "Leaving"
● ND Photo Awards 2022, 2nd place and Silver Star Award in Non-professional / Fine Art / Landscape category, "Sirens of Winter"
● Tokyo International Foto Awards 2022, Bronze Winner in Fine Art- Portrait category
● Prix de la Photographie Paris 2022, Bronze in Fine Art / People category, Non-Professional PX3, Leaving
● Minimalist Photography Awards 2022, 4th edition, Brush´n´ink, 2nd place in Landscape category
● Fine Art Photography Awards 2022, 2nd Place in Amateur Landscape category, Sirens of Winter
Media
● The Curated Landscape with Scott Reither, article/interview, 2025
● ImQuadrat Magazine, Ausgabe #11, 6 pages feature, 2024
● Blickwinkel Magazine for Photography, Issue zero six: Minimalism, 8 pages + interview, 2024
● Photographers´ Companion Magazine, China, cover photography, interview, 2024
● AAP Magazine/All-About-Photo.com, Issue #40 Portrait, Particular Merit Mention, 2024
● The Independent Photographer, Portrait Award, Editors’ Picks of May 2024
● Beautiful Bizarre Magazine 2024, feature
● Black&White Minimalist Magazine/annual book 2023, cover photography, feature
● Edge of Humanity Magazine, feature, 2022
● Loves Art Will Travel (A travel, art, and design blog for the contemporary minimalist), interview, 2022
● Black&White Minimalist Magazine/issue 35, cover photo+portfolio 2021
● Black&White Minimalist Magazine/issue 32, one photo
Exhibitions
● Václav Havel Airport, Prague, Czech Art Photo exhibition Women, March 2025 (group)
● Sylvia Janschek Gallery, Bregenz, Austria, MPA winners 2024, (group)
● Kühlhaus Berlin, BBA Photography Prize, One Shot Award nomnee, 2024 (group)
● Space Café, Anděl, Prague, March-June 2024 (solo)
● The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, Portrait Exhibition, April 2024 (group)
● Ferentino Foto Festival, Italy, 9th-11th Sept. 2022 (group)