Artist of the Month
October 2020
Vlastimil Beranek
Vlastimil Beránek is a member of a well-known glassmaking family who have been running the glassworks in Škrdlovice, Czech Republic, since the 1940s. After studying at the Secondary Art and Design School in Brno, Beránek graduated from the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague where he studied under Professor Stanislav Libenský. He works primarily with cast glass and bronze, designing monumental sculptures. Beránek is represented by ARTSiO Gallery, Krásná Lipa, Czech Republic.
Click on each photo to the right for a full picture.
Orange Blue, 2018; 30 x 46 x 36 centimeters; cast, polished glass
Epicenter, 2017; 66 centimeter diameter; cast, polished glass
Aqua One Ice, 2017; 44 centimeter diameter; cast, polished glass
Heart, 2019; 25 centimeter diameter; cast glass, matte
Endless, 2017; 75 x 55 x 36 centimeters; cast, polished glass
Smoke Chameleon, 2020; 93.5 x 17.5 x 16 centimeters; cast, polished glass
Aqua One Amber, 2018; 66 centimeter diameter; cast, polished glass
Aqua One Bronze, 2019; 13 centimeter diameter; bronze, patinated & polished
Ballerina, 2019; 13 centimeter diameter; bronze, patinated & polished
Vlastimil Beranek
Artist Statement:
I am inspired by the energy of the oceans and nature in general. I am fascinated with what unique creatures can live on a seabed, and also I am fascinated by the nature elements: water, fire, air, and earth. In many of my sculptures I intend to capture the movement of nature in motionless glass and other materials.
About Vlastimil Beranek
Vlastimil Beránek was born in Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic on July 3, 1960, the third generation of the glassmaking Beránek family, famous for their glassworks at Škrdlovice. He was in charge of the glass works himself from 1992 to 2008.
Beránek trained in sculpture under the mentorship of the legendary Professor Stanislav Libenský at the Academy of Applied Arts in Prague. He also studied under at the Specialized School of Decorative Arts in Brno..
Vlastimil Beránek is a renowned creator of large cast glass sculptures. Additionally, he sculpts using bronze and hardwood. His sculptures are based on fundamental simplicity, giving them a perfect look from every angle. In some cases, their extreme forms take them to the limits of applied technology. Beránek's pieces are minimalistic in nature, difficult to simplify any further.
His complex sculptures represent his attempts to express emotions or freeze movement. It is essential for him to get the proportions of the model shape absolutely perfect; then a few variations can be made in it. It can be distorted, cut out, twisted, etc. This is exactly the principle behind the work of Beránek: to explore movement in motionless sculptures.
The majority of Beránek’s ideas emanate from the sea. The deep oceans are blessed with secrets, which are of huge interest to him. In addition, the ocean constantly moves and so is the ideal environment from which Beránek takes inspiration for his work. Also of great fascination to him is fire and smoke.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to ARTSiO Gallery, Krásná Lipa, Czech Republic, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.
