Glass Fine Art ‘Smoke’ by Vlastimil Beránek

Glass fine art at its pinnacle. Designed and made by the greatest living Bohemian glass crystal artist, Vlastimil Beránek.

The fleeting last trail of smoke in a smokeless world.

Czech Republic artist Beránek is fascinated by smoke; the way the final breath of smoke twirls away in a spiralling eddy.

Encompassing both the matchstick and the trail of smoke in an engaging minimalist form.

Glass Fine Art Artist

Vlastimil Beránek Glass is considered to be one of the greatest living Bohemian crystal glass masters in the entire world.

Beránek was born in 1960 in Nové Město na Moravě, in the Czech Republic. His training began at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague under Bohemian crystal glass master, sculptor, and professor Stanislav Libenský. The late Libenský is a Bohemian glass master and legend of the Czech glass scene.

Beránek is a third-generation glass master. His family built the Škrdlovice glassworks in the 1940s.

He describes himself as a sculptor of glass “between fire and ocean” and is famous for his sizeable glass and mixed media sculptures. He makes his glass pieces by pouring molten glass into a unique mould and then polishing the resulting piece to absolute perfection.

Clarity, simplicity, and minimalism characterise his artistic style. The shaping of these pieces constantly pushes Beránek right up to the limits of what is technologically possible. The pieces are understated and free of cluttered debris, they look perfectly lithe and pure from every conceivable angle. The elemental mechanism of the sculptural movements; frozen in time forever, in perfect proportionality.

Just by looking at his works, you can sense the extant vitality living within them. They are dancing inside.

As well as glass sculptures, Beránek works with stone, luxury hardwood, bronze, and precious metals. Each piece is completely unique, signed, and certificated. He will consider glass art commissions in different colours or materials.

Much of his work is inspired by the sea, the secrets held within its vast depth are a source of both intrigue and inspiration.

Smoke is also alluring for Vlastimil Beránek glass artistry. That moment, when the match has been blown out, but one twirling, last hurrah of burning wood escapes up from the blackened match head.