Standing on Elephant Island, I kept thinking about Frank Hurley — not a sailor, but an artist among explorers, hauling large-format glass-plate cameras across ice and wind to document the expedition of Sir Ernest Shackleton. He built darkrooms in extreme conditions, protected fragile negatives, and carried the surviving plates back to the UK so the world could witness Antarctica. Today, I photographed Dominic Houlder here in colour — intentionally — as a dialogue with Hurley’s legacy.
A story of hope, endurance, art and belief in the impossible.
Dominic Houlder and the Houlder flag by Mount Frank Houlder, Elephant Island, Antarctica - photographed by Lukas Kroulik, January 2026.
Here I have juxtaposed two images. On the right, against the green wall, the original 1914 photograph by Frank Hurley of the “Mount Frank Houlder” named by the Boss himself after Frank on the Elephant Island, Antarctica, with a handwritten dedication to Frank Houlder from Sir Ernest Shackleton. I took that image years ago because I couldn’t get over how deeply it moved me — the gratitude, the loyalty, the human bond behind the expedition.
On the left, my photograph from Elephant Island — created in dialogue with that moment in history. Not to replicate it, but to stand beside it. The juxtaposition is my way of holding past and present together — art, survival, friendship — and letting the emotion travel across time.
I am thrilled to share with you that I have been selected to exhibit at the upcoming The London Group Open 2025.
Copeland Gallery, Saturday 8th – Sunday 23rd November 2025, open daily 11am - 5pm.
This is a truly special moment: The London Group was founded in 1913, making it one of the oldest artist-led societies in the world.
The London Group was formed by artists including the likes of Walter Sickert, Jacob Epstein, Wyndham Lewis and others who came together to challenge the conservative art establishment of the time. Throughout its long history it has remained democratically governed, open to all artistic disciplines and committed to advancing public awareness of contemporary visual art.
Title of my work: Transformation — a piece that speaks to current challenges, change, renewal, and beauty in the contemporary world.
Transformation by Lukas Kroulik, C-Type Fuji Flex, in a one-off handmade frame crafted from recycled plastic bottles collected in Soho, (H) 40cm (W) 55cm (D) 2cm
Transformation is a photographic print framed in a bespoke surround crafted from recycled plastic bottles—collected from the streets of Soho and formed into a marble-like structure in collaboration with the design studio Are You Mad. The image, shot in Bhutan as part of a climate awareness project, presents a pile of plastic waste rendered in colour-negative to shift the narrative from destruction to a positive vision of transformation. Printed by (an end to end carbon neutral service) theprintspace - the UK’s first Fine Art & Photo printing service that is completely carbon neutral.
The piece invites reflection on material transformation: waste reimagined as art, and recycling reframed as resilience and hope.
My photo frames are made in London of recycled plastic waste collected from businesses in Soho.
The Open Artists' Talks 2 - 4pm 9th and 23rd November 2025
Each artist will talk about their practice as it relates to their work in the exhibition. There will also be questions and opportunities for open discussions.
The 9th November will be facilitated by Gary Clough LG (London Group) and the 23rd November by Ian Parker LG.
I met Melissa Elliott in 2003 under the simplest yet most profound circumstances — I had pinned an advert at SOAS seeking someone to practise English with, and Melissa was looking for someone to practise Czech with. She was preparing for her PhD research in Ostrava, where she would spend a year living and working closely with Roma communities in the Czech Republic. We met, and immediately discovered how much we shared — music, art, curiosity, and a love of stories that connect people and cultures.
Melissa by Lukas Kroulik, 2003.
When I applied to the London College of Fashion in 2004, my portfolio was still very modest, but full of passion. Melissa modelled for me. I did the hair, makeup, styling, and photography — using my first Lancôme products with striking eyeshadow and lipstick. That portrait remains one of my favourites to this day. Melissa shared with me that her thirteen year old daughter is fascinated and inspired by that portrait.
Melissa listened as I told her about my upbringing in Eastern Bohemia — about my parents, my family, and the small Roma community who were part of our neighbourhood. She became more than a language partner — she became a friend, a muse, and an unwavering supporter of my creativity.
Lukas Kroulik (centre) at a local primary school in the late 80's Eastern Bohemia, Czech Republic.
A year later, she asked me to photograph her wedding to her wonderful husband, Duncan. The celebration in Peterborough was full of joy and connection — and one moment I’ll never forget. I met a group of Melissa’s Roma friends, who turned out to be from Náchod, my own birthplace in Eastern Bohemia. As we were chatting and dancing, the mother of one of the young women looked at me and said, “I think I know your father. Did he work for the mayor’s office in Náchod?” And I said, “Yes!”
It was one of those small yet profound moments that remind us how life and conversation can weave unexpected threads across time and place.
Dominic, Melissa and Lukas at Melissa and Duncan's wedding, Peterborough, 2004, (L - R).
There’s a photograph of Melissa and me from that day — her eyes are closed, and the image feels even more moving now. It reminds me of the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by my friend Rob Munday, whose holographic artwork Equanimity is now a permanent exhibit at The King’s Gallery.
Melissa - Chelsea Arts Club 2023
The last time I saw Melissa was in 2023, when she came to London for the Chelsea Arts Club Summer Exhibition to see my artwork Carbon — a work exploring resourcefulness and climate change awareness. She brought her son and said with a smile, “If only I had a wall big enough, I’d love to have this.”
Melissa and I shared so much — conversations, creative dreams, a love of learning, and a faith in people. She believed in kindness, in culture, and in connection.
I will miss her deeply, but she will always remind me that friendship, curiosity, and compassion are what truly sustain us.
Petr Torak MBE, Lukas and Jakub Kroulik, donating artworks to COMPAS Charity in Peterborough, 2025.
Later, I decided to donate Carbon to COMPAS Charity in Peterborough, led by Petr Torak MBE, its inspiring CEO. I met Petr at the Czech Embassy in London and have admired his remarkable work supporting Roma communities and promoting inclusion. Given Melissa’s lifelong commitment to Roma studies and advocacy, it felt only right that Carbon should find its home there — where art continues to foster understanding and care.
