Internationally renowned visual artist Marie Tomanova has joined Chelsea Pictures for U.S. and European photography and directing representation. After receiving her MFA, Czech-born Tomanova moved to the U.S. and has since garnered extensive acclaim for her photography which deals in the key themes of displacement, identity, gender, and memory. Now, Tomanova turns to directing as an extension of her artistry.
“The vision of Chelsea inspires and moves me. I cannot wait to move mountains as a Chelsea Girl,” Tomanova playfully remarked in an ode to Andy Warhol.
As a photographer, Tomanova has had solo shows in New York City, Prague, Tokyo, and Paris. Her work has also been exhibited in Berlin for the European Photography 2020 Biennia and at the Rencontres d’Arles as part of the Louis Roederer Discovery Award 2021, which was selected to travel to the Jimei x Arles International Photo Festival in Xiamen, China. Her first book, “Young American” (Paradigm Publishing, 2019), focuses on individuality, identity, and belonging in the American social landscape. It features a foreword by acclaimed photographer Ryan McGinley and sold out shortly after its publication. Deftly entwining portraiture and landscape to recontextualize and expand the meaning of each, Tomanova published her second book, “New York New York” (Hatje Cantz, 2021), with foreword by Kim Gordon. “It Was Once My Universe,” with foreword by Lucy Sante, was recently published by SuperLabo, Japan in fall 2022. It is a deeply personal project about her return home to the Czech Republic after eight years in exile.
“Marie is a remarkable artist and singular talent. Her ability to translate youth culture onto film has garnered her much deserved critical acclaim,” said Lisa Mehling, owner and president of Chelsea, which maintains offices in New York, Los Angeles and London. “It’s an honor to represent Marie as a photographer and have the privilege of launching her directing career. She is most definitely a star and we are thrilled to have her with us at Chelsea.”
Currently, Tomanova is preparing several upcoming exhibitions to coincide with the 2024 release of World Between Us, a feature-length HBO documentary on her life as an artist.
