Milan Krajíček

Glass fuser

©Milan Krajíček

©Courtesy of Galerie Kuzebauch and Ondřej Kocourek

©Zdenka Kottkov

Building on tradition

Milan makes oversized glass forms and patterns
He likes to merge the traditional and the innovative
He is continually searching for new possibilities

Typical patterns from the region where Milan Krajíček comes from are a vital source of inspiration in his glassmaking, which combines the traditional with 3D modelling and milling. The objects he makes, cast into metal moulds and often shaped like oversized vessels, capture the alchemistic stage of glassmaking when the material hovers between liquid and solid. He is unafraid of deconstructing shapes, of playing with material concepts and their surroundings, nor of merging internal and external spaces. His distinctive artistic vision, combined with his use of innovative technologies, comprise the driving force behind his glassmaking. He likes to share his knowledge with students at the High School of Applied Arts at Světlá n/S.

Interview

How have you mastered so many different glass techniques?: My father was an excellent glass cutter with a workshop at home, and I also had ten years' education at the Secondary School of Glassmaking and in the glass department of the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, where I was lucky to get the most excellent teachers.
How is glassmaking linked to your homeland?: Bohemian glass has a century-long tradition here, with glass cutting one of the most typical decoration techniques. In the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, where my family comes from, the so-called trihedron shape is something very special.
How do you harness these traditions?: I try to expand the morphology of cut glass as regards both shape and pattern. I modify the traditional geometrical, symmetric decoration. During the mould melting process, the liquid glass flows freely. Or the mould can be suspended from wires in the kiln, giving the final form a touch of fluidity.
What purpose does colour serve in your work?: The hue of the colour changes according to the amount of light penetrating through, and helps to underline the fine nuances of the structure according to the glass wall thickness, openings, etc.

Milan Krajíček is a master artisan: he began his career in 1995 and he started teaching in 2001