The pair began drawing their own comics adventures, whose heroes were they themselves. These cartoon char-acters “speaking into bubbles” were to affect their whole lives. After the liberation- foreign aid parcels began to arrive in Czechoslovakia, and the two brothers enjoyed not only the chocolate they contained, but also the comics it was wrapped in. Fortunately, the war did not last much longer. Jan and Kaja were also placed in a transfer camp on the Polish border. Towards the end of the war he was taken away to a concentration camp. His father was a jew and bank clerk, but after Hitler’s armies occupied Czechoslovakia he was reduced to sweeping the streets, and had to put up with insults and humiliation.

His childhood, spent with his brother Kaja, was none too happy. His photographs are included in the most important world collections.

He has had over 400 one-man shows held at. Jan Saudek is nowadays the most renowned Czech phoptographer in the world. He finds his typical WALL composition, which became a sort of projection screen for his figural scenes.Īppears his first monography 'Il teatro de la vita' in Milanoįree-lance photographer - he devotes himself fully to his own workīearer of the French title 'Le Chevalier des Arts and Letters' (Knight of Art and Literature), as the first Czech at all French film director Jerome de Missolz makes a film about him 'Jan Saudek - czech photographer'Īppears his 14., biggest monography 'SAUDEK' (published by Slovart, Praha), accompanied by wide retrospective Exhibition in Praha He uses 'real' camera Flexaret 6圆, he is also drawing and paintingįor ever influenced by the catalogue of the magnificent fotographic exhibition 'Family of Man' (Edward Steichen)

He gets his first camera KODAK BABY Brownie - first photographic AttemptsĪpprenticed to a photographer, he worked as a printing shop worker until 1983

Jan saudek website