Roman Franc (b. 1983, Brno, Czech Republic)

Studied at Masaryk University in Brno, obtaining an MA in Education (2008). Subsequently, he earned an MFA in Photography (2015) at the Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava (Czech Republic). Currently, he is advancing towards a PhD while serving as an external teacher at the Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava. His primary focus lies in non-traditional portraiture and staged photography (for example, the series entitled My Little Miracles, Collectives, Brother, Portraits, Sokol: The Loyal Guard, My Name Is Hungry Buffalo). Additionally, he engages in curatorial and publishing endeavors.

Roman Franc is also the author and co-author of several books (House of Essens, My Name Is Hungry Buffalo, Watch the Birdie!, The Zbrojovka Phenomenon). In 2017, his book My Name Is Hungry Buffalo earnedrecognition as one the most beautiful books in the Czech Republic. He has also contributed to projects for the office of former Czech President Václav Havel and is the adopted son of a Navajo medicine man, Black Horse. He organizes and teaches photography courses and workshops for both private and public institutions and is currently represented by Boswell Mourot Fine Art gallery in Arkansas, USA.

His photographs can be found in notable collections, including the Moravian Gallery in Brno, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, and the Zillman Art Museum.

Selection of solo exhibitions, publications, and curatorial projects 

• 2023 Grupy. Leica Gallery, Prague. April 27 – June 11 2023. Curated by Vladimír Birgus.
• 2023 Proximities, Boswell Mourot Fine Art, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
• 2023 Collectives, Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român, Bucharest, Romania
• 2023 Collectives. FotoKozma Fesztivál, Csákvár, Hungary
• 2023 Grupy, Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
• 2023 Collectives, HEI – House of European Institutes, Timisoara, Romania
• 2022 Thirty four Roman Franc’s s large format prints became part of Library of Congress ‘s photography collection in Washington, D.C. (October 2022)
• 2022 Roman Franc: Collectives, Central and Eastern European Film Festival, Centre Culturel de Rencontre NEIMËNSTER gallery, Luxembourg
• 2022 The Zbrojovka Phenomenon, main book editor and author of the book concept, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2022 Groups and individuals, Art Market Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
• 2022 Grupy, Fiducia gallery, Ostrava, Czech Republic
• 2022 Sokol: The Loyal Guard, NCSML Museum (The NCSML is a Smithsonian Affiliate from 2019). Anderson Gallery, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
• 2021 Watch The Birdie!, Zillman Art Museum (ZAM), Bangor, Maine, USA
• 2021 OFF festival, Sokol: The Loyal Guard, Bratislava, Slovakia
• 2018 Jmenuji se Hladový bizon, Jiří Mahen Library, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2017 Jmenuji se Hladový bizon, University Cinema Scala, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2017 Sight Lines, Pictura Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
• 2017 Sokol: Věrná garda, Opera Gallery, Jiří Myron Theatre, Ostrava, Czech Republic
• 2015–2018 Good Mr. Benda, a feature documentary in coproduction with Czech Television and Endorfilm independent film production company, screenwriter and co-director (together with Pavel Jurda)
• 2015 YOU: Never Too Close, published book for the You: Never Too Close show in New York, USA
• 2015 Karel Novák: Naturally, author of the book concept and curator, Biggboss, 2015
• 2014 Jock Sturges – Karel Novák, curator of photography exhibition during the Month of Photography festival, House of Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia,
• 2013–2015 Screenwriter for the Czech Television (Já budu Einsteinem! / I Will Be Einstein!)
• 2013 Jock Sturges – Karel Novák: Naturally, curator of photography exhibition for the Moravian Gallery in Brno, Czech Republic
• 2013 Brother, Steiner, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2012 The 2012 Portfolio Issue, SHOTS magazine no. 118, the portfolio was published as the cover story of the issue
• 2008–2011 Photographer for the Czech President’s Office under Václav Havel, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2008 Portraits, Goose on the String Gallery, Goose on the String Theater, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2007 Gipsy Childhood, Slévárna Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2006 Shouted, Spolek Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic

Selection of group exhibitions

• 2023 Many Faces. Photos of the Institute of Creative Photography students. Opera Gallery, National Moravian-Silesian Theater, Ostrava, Czech Republic.
• 2022 Opawska Szkola Fotografii, Galeria Sztuki Wspóĺczesnej, Opole, Poland
• 2022 Common Opava, Fotofestiwal, OFF Piotrkowska, Lódź, Poland
• 2022 30+. Muzeum Miejskie w Zabrzu, Zabrze–Art Photo Budapest, Hungary` Galeria Sztuki współczesnej, Opolski Festiwal Fotografii, Poland; Mesiac fotografie, Bratislava, Slovak; Prague Photo, Prague, Czech Republic; Galeria Sztuki Współczesnej BWA, Katowice, Fotofestivwal 2022, Lódź, Poland
• 2021 Velvet Generation, FAR Center for Contemporary Arts, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
• 2021 30+. House of Arts, Opava, Czech Republic
• 2021 Three Decades. The Institute of Creative Photography, Galeria Sztuki Wspólczesnej BWA, Katowice, Poland
• 2021 Opawska Szkola Fotografii. Galeria Sztuki Wspóĺczesnej, Opole, Poland
• 2020 Three Decades. The Institute of Creative Photography, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, The House at the Black Madonna, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2019 Velvet Generation. FotoFest gallery at Silver Street Studios, Houston, USA
• 2017 Innere Gebiete, Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University in Opava, Czech Center in Berlin, Germany
• 2017 Pictura Gallery at The Photography Show, AIPAD, NY, USA
• 2016 Quarter of a Century. Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University in Opava 1990–2015, Prague City Gallery, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2015 Karel Novák: Naturally, author of the book concept and curator, Biggboss, 2015
• 2015–2018 Good Mr. Benda, a feature documentary in coproduction with Czech Television and Endorfilm independent film production company, screenwriter and co-director (together with Pavel Jurda)
• 2014 YOU: Never Too Close, Czech Center New York, New York, USA
• 2014 Jock Sturges – Karel Novák, curator of photography exhibition during the Month of Photography festival, House of Arts, Bratislava, Slovakia
• 2013–2015 Screenwriter for the Czech Television (Já budu Einsteinem! / I Will Be Einstein!)
• 2013 Jock Sturges – Karel Novák: Naturally, curator of photography exhibition for the Moravian Gallery in Brno, Czech Republic
• 2010 Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University in Opava, Linacre College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
• 2010 Chateau Gallery, Konice, Czech Republic
• 2010 Lesley Nowlin Gallery, Austin, USA
• 2009 Měsíc ve dne, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
• 2009 Trojka, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2008–2011 Photographer for the Czech President’s Office under Václav Havel, Prague, Czech Republic
• 2007 Second Cities, Košice, Slovakia

Education 

• 2017–2024 PhD student at the Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava, Czech Republic
• 2010–2016 MFA in Photography, Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava, Czech Republic
• 2006–2010 BA in Photography, Institute of Creative Photography, Silesian University, Opava, Czech Republic
• 2003–2008 MA in Education, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Selection of workshops and lectures

• 2017 Photographic workshop with Jindřich Štreit and Gabriela Kolčavová: Photographing in Czech remote villages in distant mountain areas in Banat, Vol. II, Romania
• 2016 Photographic workshop with Jindřich Štreit and Gabriela Kolčavová: Photographing in Czech remote villages in distant mountain areas in Banat, Vol. I, Romania
• 2011–2014 Photogenia, portrait and documentary workshops, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2014 Social documentary workshop with a special guest Jindřich Štreit (rough rural reality in the small forgotten village of Ruda)
• 2014 Luminography with Jan Pohribný
• 2013 Portraiture and human body in photography with a special guest Jock Sturges
• 2011–2014 Photography workshops and lectures for the Moravian Gallery, Brno, Czech Republic
• 2012–2015 Workshops at Vila Tugendhat (designed by Mies van der Rohe), a UNESCO heritage, focused on fostering an understanding of architecture for both children and adults
• 2013–2014 Documenting lives of the monks at the Benedictine Monastery in Rajhrad (designed by Jan Santini Aichel), Czech Republic
• 2012–2013 Brno Photography School, portrait workshops, Brno, Czech Republic