The visually striking work of Libuše Jarcovjáková stands out among photography from the second half of the twentieth century. From the start, Jarcovjáková uses a personal, clearly-composed style, mixing the raw with the poetic. The street, night, sex, work, alcohol, love, and depression are captured with a self-destructive lack of restraint. Unafraid of imperfection, she portrays the world around her, other people, and her feelings of apparent hopelessness with unwavering honesty. Born in Prague in 1952, Jarcovjáková began documenting her surroundings during the oppressive years of communist Czechoslovakia, often focusing on marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ scene, Roma people, and foreign workers. Her clandestine images, kept largely hidden for decades, offer a powerful counter-narrative to official propaganda. Her most renowned body of work, The Inner Circle, shot between the 1970s and ’80s, reveals a deeply confessional and fearless approach to photography that blurs the line between diary and documentation.

The photographs featured in Department Store were created during Libuše’s time in Tokyo in 1978. They are records of, or rather participation in, existential interims, taken out of ordinary contexts, a web of relationships and everyday activities, which at other times verify our identities and give us a feeling of direction.