Dutch photographer Tony Dočekal presents a new series centred on the transition from childhood to young adulthood. In Paper Stars, she follows the life of Lyric, a girl growing up in a remote border region of the United States. Through this work, Dočekal explores how shifts in living environment and daily rhythm quietly shape the formation of identity. The solo exhibition is on view until 22 March at Art Gallery O-68 in Velp. From 27 to 29 March, a selection of the artist’s works will also be presented during Art Rotterdam.
Paper Stars comprises photography and video works originating from a portrait of Lyric taken in 2022, when she was nine years old and living in a school bus in southern Arizona. This marked the beginning of a long-term relationship between the photographer and her subject. Time moves in seconds and in years. Identity takes shape and shifts. Juxtaposing this personal development unfolds a broader context: an America in transition, where distance, uncertainty and polarisation permeate even the most remote areas.
Reflecting on life in a school bus, Lyric said: ‘I only miss my friends. And paper to draw on.’ In recent years, Dočekal has visited Lyric regularly in various locations. Lyric moved to a homestead in the desert, while her relationship to the world gradually evolved. Here, identity becomes something to shape and reconsider: adolescence as a phase of self-reflection.
Paper Stars, Dočekal’s largest exhibition to date, features no fewer than 70 works and unfolds in layers. Paper functions both as a medium of expression and as an instrument of bureaucracy; while stars serve as symbols guiding our lives, from childhood wishes to the stars stitched into a flag.
Tony Dočekal (1992, Amsterdam) is a photographer and visual artist. Her practice—emerging from long-term relationships and chance encounters—explores identity, belonging, and the friction between autonomy and societal expectations. Her images shift between closeness and distance, showing how personal stories and landscapes reflect larger systems. Her first book, The Color of Money and Trees, was published by VOID in 2024 and launched at Paris Photo. Her work has been presented both nationally and internationally, including at Unseen Amsterdam, Museum MORE, and Biennale Images Vevey.
Tony Dočekal : Paper Stars
On view until 22 March 2026
Art Gallery O-68
Oranjestraat 74, 6881 SG, Velp (near Arnhem)
www.gallery-o-68.com
Finissage: Sunday 22 March, 15:00 to 17:00
Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 15:00 to 17:00, and by appointment
Art Rotterdam
27 to 29 March 2026, Ahoy Rotterdam
www.artrotterdam.com
