Filip Lukavec
Filip Lukavec (1998, Česká Lípa) has been working with glass since 2015, when he studied at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Kamenický Šenov. It was there that his relationship with the material began to take shape — a material that is beautiful, but unforgiving. In his work, glass is not merely a substance to be shaped. It becomes a space for imagination, inspiration drawn from nature, colour, light and the artist’s personal imprint.
In his work, he allows himself to be guided by imagination and motifs drawn from nature. His objects often resemble living beings, fragments of landscapes, crystalline structures or strange organic forms that seem to exist somewhere between dream and reality. Emotion is essential to his work. It is not only about achieving a perfect form or a striking colour scheme, but about awakening a personal feeling, memory or thought in the viewer. Each work can therefore be experienced differently depending on who is looking at it, from which angle and in what light.
A distinctive feature of Lukavec’s work is his sensitivity to faceted glass, optics and finely ground layers. As a glass cutter, he finds the greatest beauty precisely where the material gradually opens itself to the eye. Sharp edges, transparency, reflections and shifting layers of colour create a vivid inner space within his objects. The glass changes with every movement of the viewer. At one moment it appears calm and transparent, at another dramatic, almost mysterious. A slight change in the angle of light is enough for the work to begin telling a different story.
The process behind his objects is demanding and requires considerable patience. The glass is gradually worked on several machines using abrasives of varying coarseness, while a range of grinding wheels shapes the final form. This is followed by polishing with pumice and final cerium polishing, which gives the surface its radiant lustre and depth. For larger and more complex objects, the entire process can take several weeks. This physical labour, precision and concentration remain present in the finished works, even though at first glance they may appear light and effortless.
Filip Lukavec is a member of the Crystal Valley platform and regularly takes part in cultural and glassmaking events. He belongs to a younger generation of artists who build on the strong tradition of Czech glass while bringing to it their own imagination, contemporary perspective and personal energy. His work shows that glass can be technically precise, visually striking and, at the same time, deeply human. All it takes is to stop, look a little closer and let the light do its work.
Selection of Works
