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Jan Vávra (* February 16, 1953 in Prague) is Czech artistic photographer oriented on staged conceptual photography. He is a representative of neopictorialism.
Jan Vávra graduated at the Institute of Creative Photography in Opava. Since 2001, he has acted as a pedagogue at the Higher Special Film School in Písek. Here is where he leads seminaries of artistic photograph. Lastly, he also works as a teacher on Film Academy of Miroslav Ondříček.
Since 1993, he has brought to order his separate exhibition, oriented on staged conceptual photography. He is the author of creative cycle "Nalezené věci" (Found things), where is concerned to new conception of space, using original experimental techniques. He intervenes in final object by them with an attempt to finding of new dimensions and inner sense of structural substance. Then, this simple name of that extensive cycle with rich thematic range hides basic author's creative effort, - not only finding of things, but trying to discover their inward shape. His works are great at invention and technical mastery.
Jan Vávra's interest in music shows itself in cooperation with various artists on graphic design of their works (covers, booklets, etc.)., i.e. with composer Vladimír Hirsch both for solo works and his conjoint projects, keyboard player Roman Dragoun, saxofonist Ivan Myslikovjan or composer and multiinstrumentalist Raven.
Exhibitions: National museum in Prague (permanent exhibition) Prague 1988, Aue (Germany) 1988, Hamburg (Germany) 1989, Amsterdam (Netherlands) 1989, Kaunas (Lithuania) 1989, Písek 1994, Písek 1996, České Budějovice 2003, Austria 2003. His works are parts of many private collections in Czechia, Austria, Germany, Great Britain and USA.