Born in 1946 in Lokavec, near the Slovenian border with Italy, Bavčar lost his sight in two different accidents when he was just 11 years old. He lost one eye when he impaled himself on a branch in a forest. Then, just month later, he lost his other eye when a mine detonator he was tinkering blew up. Despite finding himself completely blind, he retained the will to persevere.

After a long rehabilitation process, Bavčar was transferred to a school for the blind. There, he stumbled opon a photo camera, and discovered a lifelong passion: Even though he could never see the final result, he loved to take pictures.

For a while, Bavčar worked as a telephone switchboard operator, a job deemed most appropriate for the blind, but photography remained his passion. He moved to Paris, where he studied philosophy and aesthetics, and was hired by the prestigious Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. There, he was able to devote his time to photography, and his work was met with an enthusiastic response.

Preferring to see himself as a conceptual artist rather than a photographer, Bavčar has received worldwide attention for his innovative work. His photos, which feature a lively interplay of light and darkness, have been exhibited throughout France and as far away as Canada and South Korea.

Bavčar has been given a Citizen of Europe award by the Council of Europe, which recognizes extraordinary achievement by European citizens, and earlier this year, he received the prestigious French Legion of Honor award, given out by the President of France. He has also been featured in a number of documentaries, newspapers, and magazines from around the world. Even though Bavčar now lives in Paris, he enjoys returning to Slovenia on a regular basis. For many of his compatriots – and for countless others around the world --, he serves as an example of how a determined person can pursue his dreams despite a major disability.