Jaroslav Bejvl Jr. is a leading Czech glass artist whose work is a distinctive and revelatory combination of glass, light and the latest technological innovations. His name is known throughout the world in the field of works for architecture and the design of original lighting fixtures, which have earned him numerous foreign and domestic awards. Bejvl’s less well-known fine art works have garnered attention as well. These span a broad spectrum from site-specific light installations to standalone sculptural work with glass. He is also a respected specialist in the field of restoring historic lighting fixtures, where he has many years of practical experience and a knowledge of the stylistic, historical and technical aspects of artistic work and craftsmanship.

Bejvl learned the foundations for his work during childhood in the studio of his father, from whom he inherited his artistic talent and a love for the craft and the material. By closely collaborating with his father on important foreign and domestic commissions, he followed in the footsteps of his artistic legacy and artisanal mastery. In his own work, he engages in dialogue with the excellent tradition of post-war Czech studio glass, working with history as a creative impulse and inventively keeping in step with the latest technological advances through visionary experimentation with new materials, techniques and technologies.

The site-specific installation …Beyond the Karlín Viaduct invites visitors into a dreamscape filled with memories of childhood, fleeting phantoms of shapes and luminary experiences. Within this kaleidoscope of perceptions and experiences, a special place is held by the landscapes and world of Kamil Lhoták, whose images emerge from the depths of time so that they may be materialized by light as flashes or glimpses, frozen in time in the glass material. They are bounded by the distinctive line of a glowing horizon, above which majestically and quietly float phantoms of balloons and airships. Angled beams of light evoke the afternoon glow of the setting sun, casting sharp shapes like a spotlight onto the glass objects, which bring to mind glass marbles, coloured bands, and treasures from deep within our pockets – attributes of yearning and of boyhood adventures. We cannot travel back in time, but with a little nostalgia we can evoke a feeling, an atmosphere and admiration for bold dreams, human abilities and technology itself.

Jaroslav Bejvl (1967) studied glass at the school of applied art in Kamenický Šenov. After taking private sculpture courses, he interned with the legendary American designer Dale Chihuly in Seattle, Washington. Since the late 1990s, he has worked as a designer (later head designer and artistic director) for Preciosa Lighting. In 2016, he founded Bejvl Design Studio, through which he realizes his art projects and collaborates with various foreign and domestic producers as a designer.

www.bejvl.com