Vlastimil Beránek (1960-) is considered to be one of the most skilled glass sculptors in the world. He works with molten glass to create large, undulating sculptures that command the attention of any space in which they are installed. The extreme size of his works pushes the limit of glass sculpting technology and he has earned the accolade of creating the world’s largest sculpture from a single piece of glass.
Beránek honed his skills in the glass studio of Professor Stanislav Libenský at Prague Academy of Applied Arts. During his studies he discovered his preferred method of artistic expression through the simplicity of large, free- owing forms. The use of colour in his work creates a sense of drama and the mood in each piece, which can change dramatically depending on the lighting. The sinuous, curvaceous forms of his pieces appear to mutate when viewed from different angles.
The artist comes from a long line of Czech glass- makers - three generations ago his family established a glassworks at Škrdlovice in the 1940s. The workshop has become renowned for the modern, hot-shaped glass pieces it produces. Beránek was Head of Glassworks between 1992 and 2008, although today the artist works from his workshop in Stržanov as well as his atelier in Šluknov, Czech Republic.