Loreal Prystaj is a visual artist based in London and New York. Her work reflects themes on the phenomenology of consciousness, storytelling, and mysticism. Through methodologies rooted in psychoanalysis, archetypal symbolism, and surrealism, she works with various mediums, including photography, moving-image, sculpture, and sound, to highlight the psychological imprint the environment leaves on the individual or collective.
Prystaj’s work is an ongoing dialogue that invites viewers to explore their consciousness and roles played and to consider how our surroundings shape us and how we, in turn, shape our environment.
Education
2017-2019 – MA in Photography – The Royal College of Art, London, UK
2009-2013 – BFA in Photography – The Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, USA
Selected Exhibitions
2024 CRUX GALERIE, Athens, EL (upcoming)
2024 NADAN Gallery, Berlin, GE
2023 As Above, So Below, Hypha Studio, London, UK
2023 Holme Kunsthal, Aarhus, DK
2023 Mellemrummet, Aarhus, DK
2023 Matrixial Spaces, Luisa Catuccia Gallery, Berlin, GE
2023 MIA, Luisa Catuccia Gallery, Milan, IT
2023 Marking Time, Hypha Studios, London UK
2022 Still Moving, V.O Curations Project Space, London UK
2022 SUB(merged) Realities, The Columbia, London, UK (current)
2022 Photo London, UK (May 2022)
2022 Confined Connections, London, UK
2021 Have a Butchers, London, UK
2021 Photo London, Somerset House, London, UK
2021 Can we Dance Again? SWDarkroom, London, UK
2021 Around the Table, No. 20 Arts, London, UK
2021 Lift-Off Global Network, Sessions 2021, ‘NON’, Online Screening
2020 Photo London, Hi~Noon and Kovet.Art , VR gallery (due to Covid-19)
2020 Delineating Dreams, Kovet.Art launching exhibition, VR gallery (due to Covid-19)
2020 Trespassers will be Detected? Dnipro Contemporary Culture Centre, UA
2020 Trespassers will be Detected? Artsvit Gallery, Dnipro, UA
2019 Why do it Together when You can do it Alone, Lewisham Arthouse, London, UK
2019 Strange at the House, Safehouse 1, Art Licks Weekend, London, UK
2019 Homeland, Revolv Collective, Take Courage Gallery, London, UK
2019 RCA Show, Roya College of Art, London, UK
2019 Ethereal: A Diary Poetry, Galerie Joseph Turenne, Paris, FR
2019 Delphian Open Call 2019, The Print Space, London, UK
2019 Femininos Pessoais, O Centro Cultural, Rio De Janiero, BR
2018 A Sustainable Future, Dyson Gallery, London, UK
2018 Ashurst Emerging Art Prize Exhibition, Ashurst Gallery, London, UK
2018 Dior Photography Award for Young Talents (Arles Photo Festival), LUMA Gallery, Arles, FR
2018 Offprint, Tate Modern, London, UK
2018 Disrupt, Subject Matter, Online
2018 Tokyo International Photo Festival, CA Gallery, Tokyo, JP
2017 Assisi International Exhibition, Galerie Le Logge, Assisi, IT
2017 Life Framer Open Call, Clamp Art, New York, Arles, Milan, IT
2016 Adornare Art Exhibition, Trunk Club, New York, USA
2016 Ophelia Exhibition, Alídem Galleria, Milan, IT
2016 MIA Photography Fair, Alídem Galeria, Milan, IT
2015 Body and Bathworks; Girl in a Tub, Public.Factory, New York, USA
2015 Yuとme夢 exhibition, AIAV, Yamaguchi, JP
2015 Being, Gallery Sensei, Manhattan, New York, USA
2014 Self Love is not Ego, Brooklyn Fireproof, New York, USA
2014 Bushwick Open Studios, The Active Space, Brooklyn, USA
2014 Photopalooza, Erie Art Museum, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
2014 Cut Together, Y Gallery Salon Soho, Manhattan, USA
Solo Exhibitions
2016 Yuとme夢, AIAV, Akiyoshidai, JP
2015 Being, Gallery Sensei, New York, USA
Awards and Nominations
2022– Queen Elizabeth Trust Fund – shortlisted
2022– Nemo Omnes Fondation Fund
2019– Artful Dodgers Photo Award
2019– #FotoRoomOPEN– Final 9 Shortlisted
2018 – Royal Photographic Society–100 Heroines, Nominee
2018 – European Photography Award – Shortlisted
2018 – Ashurst Emerging Art Prize – Final 25 Shortlisted
2018 – Dior Young Talent Award– Jury Mention
2018 – TIFA– 1st Place: Fine Art Award
2017 – Life Framer OPEN CALL– 2nd Place winner
2017 – ArtSlant – 1st place for Fine Art Photography
2016 – Neutral Density –Gold Award for Conceptual Photography
2016 – MIFA Photo Awards – Honourable Mention
Selected Publications (Print)
The Curator Mag Issue 2: Humanness & Materiality.
Aesthetic practices in the climate crisis: Intervening in consensual frameworks of the sensible through images
YES & NO Issue: No. 03.03
Berlin Explorer: Make it Blue
Chiswick Magazine
YES & NO Issue: No.03:02
Create! Magazine: Issue 14
Source Magazine
Chiiz Magazine
Unvæl Journal : Edition III
The Art of Color; DIOR
Art Book Inspiration
The Solitary Body. The Self-Portrait in Contemporary Photography, Vol.II
DAZE Magazine
ICON
Hue Magazine
Behind the Yellow Wallpaper
Select Online Publications
LYNX Magazine– LYNX Magazine Art Residency: “Go There as an Empty Slate”
NASTY Magazine - Loreal Prystaj / Shape of Body
Aesthetica - Mirrored Environments
Neo2 - Entrevista a Loreal Prystaj, selfies del ecofeminismo
The Reprobate - Reflecting on Nature and Looking Inward: The Female Gaze of Loreal Prystaj
Aesthetica - 5 To See : Photo London
The Guardian - From UFO’s to Empty Clothes: The Best New Talents in Photo London - in Pictures2
Mayfair Times – New Artist Incubator Platform for the Digital Age
FAD Magazine – Kovet.Art - Anounces its launch and inaugural exhibition
Client Magazine – Artist Incubator Launches in London: Kovet.Art
Art Daily – Kovet.Art: A new artist platform launches
Center for Urban History – Achievements of the SWAP residence at the Urban Media Archive
The Art Newspaper – Freshly graduated from art school?
Vogue Italia – RCA Photography 2019
The Photographer –Loreal Prystaj Uses Mirrors to Explore Man’s Relationship with Nature
Source Magazine – Source: Graduate Photography
Photograd – Highly Recommended Photography graduate
Unvæl Magazine – “An Interview with Photographer, Loreal Prystaj”
Art UPON – “Flora Ornamental”
Curated by Girls – “Body in Bathworks”
The Guardian – “Royal Photographic Society seeks 'hundred heroines' for special award”
British Journal of Photography – “Nominate your Inspirational Female Photography Today”
Konbini– “This Girl Photographed herself in 100 Bathtubs”
My Modern Met– “12 Contemporary Artists tell us what it takes to make a great piece of Art”
My Modern Met – “Surreal Portraits of Human Form Hiding Behind Reflections of Nature.”
The Life of Gordon F. Sander – Introducing Loreal Prystaj
The Phoblographer– “Loreal Prystaj Uses Mirrors to Explore Man’s Relationship with Nature”
Dodho Magazine– “Reflecting on Nature by Loreal Prystaj”
Dodho Magazine– "May 2017: Most Popular Photographers"
F-STOP Magazine Issue #89– “Altered Photography”
Dodho Magazine– “Anatomy of a Photograph by Loreal" Prystaj”
L'Oeil de la Photographie– “Reflecting on Nature”
L'Oeil de la Photographie– “The New York Times Portfolio Reviews”
L'Oeil de la Photographie– “Between the Cracks”
Selected Art Residencies
2022 London Creative Network, Four Corners London, UK
2021 Córtex Frontal Residency, Arraiolos, PT
2019 / 2020 SWAP: Uk/Ukraine Residency Programme, Lviv, UA
2017 Arte Studio Ginestrelle, Assissi, IT
2017 Córtex Frontal Residency, Lisbon, PT
2016 Artles Creative Residency, Haukijärvi, FI
2015 Akiyoshidai International Art Village, Yamaguchi, JP
2014 Byrdcliffe Art Colony, Woodstock, New York, USA
Talks and Lectures
2023 Crit Night at Chisenhale Gallery with Richard Deacon
2023 ISSOS Photo Teacher, Summer Program– Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK
2020 Kovet.Art X Sotheby’s – In Conversation with: Brandei Estes, the Head of Photographs, Sotheby's London and Kovet Artist and Photographer Loreal Prystaj
2020 My Body, Myself – Paola Ugolini in Conversation with Loreal Prystaj
2020 Guest speaker – Lviv Center for Uban History, Lviv, Ukraine
2019 ISSOS Photo Teacher, Summer Program– Yale University, New Haven
2018 Guest Speaker – Ashurst Art Prize Talk, London
2014-2017 Guest Lecturer – Illusions in Photography – New York University, New York
2015 Guest Speaker–After Graduation and Entering the Photography Industry– Adorama, New York
2015 Guest Speaker– Nuit Blache– Akiyoshidai International Art Village, Japan.
2015 Panel Discussion–Behind the Yellow Wallpaper: Literature and the Psychology of Change– Columbia University, New York
2014 Guest Lecturer –Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
Collections
Erie Art Museum Art Collection, PA, United States
Curational and Art Directing
2019 Co-Curator for Gordon Sander’s Retrospective “My America: 1965-2019”– VEF Culture Palace, Riga, Latvia.
2014 Assistant Art Director– Byrdcliffe Art Colony, New York