Can one man have seven lives, like a cat with a taste for glamour? If you’re Robert Vano, the answer is a resounding YES. But let’s start at the beginning.

Those of you who follow me here know my deep love of portrait photography, especially black-and-white work. So it will come as no surprise that I carved out a moment in the busy pre-holiday season to visit Robert Vano’s show at Galerie Tančící dům (housed in the famed “Fred and Ginger,” designed by the recently departed Frank Gehry). Quick snaps from reviews promised streamlined, beautiful portraits of a veritable who’s who of the Czech glitterati. Knowing a bit about the artist, I also suspected we’d be treated to some fashion photography and, most likely, some male nudes. The show delivered on all fronts - and I truly enjoyed it all.

So, back to those seven lives. While Vano - and at least some of his story - are fairly well known to my Czech friends, many of my international readers may not have encountered him before. For you, let me tell you his fascinating story.

Born in Slovakia, Vano left the country at a young age and, after a stint in an Italian refugee camp, landed in New York City with little money and even less skill.

After a string of random (and short-lived gigs) he moves to Philadelphia and there, by sheer luck, finds work as a hairdresser. His creative eye kicks in and he strikes gold - first in Philly, and later with his own salon back in NYC. His New York chapter comes with a generous dose of Studio 54 lifestyle, complete with somehow buying one of Andy Warhol’s Marilyns. But then comes the downfall. The lifestyle spirals into drug addiction, the salon closes, friends disappear (luckily for Robert, a crucial few stay and end up saving his life). It’s a story that feels almost cinematic — the rise, the fall, the reinvention. And then another reinvention. And another…

Re-emerging from under the addiction cloud he’s reborn again - this time as a makeup artist. He heads to Italy for a class and, through a mix of luck and sheer audacity, lands an enviable stylist gig early on working with Marco Glaviano and The Supers. He assists Horst P. Horst… listens, absorbs, learns… and eventually picks up a camera of his own. A photographer is born. And another life begins.

After shooting for Cosmopolitan, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar around the world, he lands back in Prague to become the creative director of the brand-new Czech edition of Elle magazine. And promptly sets the bar sky-high. Several years later, another abrupt downfall: he is unceremoniously fired.

And yet, another life drifts in. He begins working with Czech modeling agencies and somehow also convinces his Czech/US friends to launch the Radost nightclub in Prague that goes on to become legendary, even ranking as the 8th best bar in the world by World's Best Bars in 2007. Through all of this, he photographs, photographs, photographs. Fashion. Celebrities. And, of course, his muses - male nudes.

As he enters his twilight years, we now enjoy the fruits of that lifelong photographic obsession at Galerie Tančící dům in Prague. Two underground floors (which somehow feels exactly right) filled with striking images: some tack-sharp, others gritty, sepia-toned, or intentionally blurry. All of them compelling, beautiful, and full of life. Paired with a well-made documentary about his life, the show is a bright spot on the current Prague gallery scene.

Go visit, it runs for another couple of months. I left the gallery both inspired and strangely moved. And, I have a feeling you might, too.

And, if you love photography exhibitions in Prague as much as I do, check out also my review of Tono Stano’s show at Městská knihovna: another unforgettable encounter with portraiture and light.