STRAND 1 · EXHIBITION
The visual heart of Portraits of Slovak and Czech Britain — fifty personalities, 48 photographic works, and one hundred years of migration history presented as a single visual story.
INTRODUCTION
The exhibition is the visual heart of the programme. It presents fifty featured personalities in 48 photographic works, bringing together public figures, creative professionals, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, community leaders, families and younger descendants born or raised in Britain.
The portraits were created by Slovak photographer Robert Viglasky, whose work spans portraiture and film and television photography. He is best known as the principal photographer for the BBC's Peaky Blinders and has also worked with Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV and other major studios.
For Portraits, Robert used a consistent, minimalist visual language rooted in portrait and documentary photography. Each sitter was photographed against a hand-painted canvas created by HAPACA Studio. Its soft golden palette introduces warmth and timelessness while subtly referencing The Streets of London Are Paved with Gold.
The simple setting removes distraction and places the focus on expression, posture and presence. Personal objects appear in selected portraits as traces of memory, profession, family or migration. The result is contemporary and restrained, but also symbolic. Each portrait stands alone while contributing to one shared visual story.
The exhibition was created and curated by Simona Vrabcová and Rebeka Jurčacková. Simona developed the project, research and written narrative, while Rebeka shaped the visual identity, exhibition design and presentation. Dr Zuzana Palovic served as Historical Research Consultant.
Newly researched biographies and personal testimony accompany the portraits. A wider historical text connects them with key periods of Slovak and Czech migration to Britain, from war and political exile to post-1989 mobility, EU-era migration and the experiences of descendants growing up with plural identities.
CURATORIAL APPROACH
The exhibition is organised into three interconnected groups. These are not simply age categories. They reflect different relationships with migration, home and identity.
The Pioneers arrived through war, persecution, political upheaval or exile. Their lives carry memories of Kindertransport, the Second World War, the Communist takeover and the 1968 invasion. They helped create the institutions and relationships on which later communities were built.
The Visionaries came later, driven by education, work, creativity, entrepreneurship or the search for new opportunities. They built careers, families and organisations while contributing to British society and maintaining connections with Slovak and Czech culture.
The Descendants were born or raised in Britain, often moving between several languages and cultural identities. Their stories explore what is inherited, what changes and how heritage is reimagined by a new generation.
FEATURED PERSONALITIES
Portraits brings together more than fifty personalities across professions, generations and migration experiences. The exhibition and documentary film include artists, scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, community leaders, families and descendants born or raised in Britain.
Among the personalities featured are:
Vera Schaufeld MBE
educator and Kindertransport survivor
Alex Brychta MBE
illustrator of the Oxford Reading Tree
Professor Monika Gullerová
Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Oxford
Peter Breiner
conductor, composer and pianist
Erik Lorincz
mixologist and founder of Kwānt Mayfair
Petr Torák MBE
honorary consul, community leader and former police officer
Zuzana Slobodová
author and former BBC broadcaster
Dr Jan Telensky
entrepreneur and philanthropist
Ladislav Horňan
chartered accountant and community leader
Dana Klampárová
founder of the Association of Slovak Schools and Communities in the UK
This is a small selection from the 50+ personalities whose stories form the wider Portraits programme.
FROM THE OPENING
The exhibition opened at the Nunnery Gallery in London in September 2025, bringing together many of the featured personalities, more than 120 visitors, and partners for the first public presentation of Portraits of Slovak and Czech Britain. Watch the television report by Peter Mikitič for TV JOJ News, capturing the opening night and the atmosphere of the exhibition.
Television report from the opening of Portraits of Slovak and Czech Britain at the Nunnery Gallery, London.
WHAT VISITORS SAID
Beautiful portraits with incredible stories. So much energy emanates from these thoughtfully curated images. A must-see exhibition.
Seeing my father’s story was so beautiful. I was deeply touched by the entire exhibition. It was a very proud moment for me and everyone who attended.
It surprised me how many successful Czechs and Slovaks live in the UK. I was so happy to have the chance to speak with some of them.
All of the stories resonated deeply in different ways. It is moving to realise how many beautiful stories can exist behind each picture.
The exhibition reminded me how many incredible people come from our cultural background, how strong we are and how important it is to stay close to our roots.
The power of each person’s roots and heritage reaches across borders.
EXHIBITION VENUES
The exhibition has had two completed public presentations in London, with a third presentation planned at the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in September 2026.
PAST
17 to 22 September 2025
The inaugural public presentation introduced all 48 photographic works and the wider Portraits programme. Nearly 150 guests joined the opening night.
View exhibition photographs →PAST
20 to 25 January 2026
The second London presentation brought the exhibition into the historic setting of Burgh House in Hampstead and continued the programme through public engagement and a HERITAGE workshop.
View exhibition photographs →UPCOMING · INVITATION ONLY
10 September 2026
A special presentation hosted as part of the official state reception marking Constitution Day and Armed Forces Day of the Slovak Republic.
View event details →ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The exhibition has been made possible through the support of the Office for Slovaks Living Abroad, the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in London and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.
HAPACA Studio created the hand-painted canvas backdrop. Gas Production Hire supported the lighting. Curatorial consultation was provided by Dr Sunil Shah, and Hermine Patch documented the project behind the scenes.
Photography assistants Jack Somerset, Robin Bernstein and Ludovic Robert supported the portrait sessions, with additional practical and creative support from Velehrad London, Beyond Print, Image Approvals and Peter Mikitič from TV JOJ.
