The exhibition introduces to the public 17 exclusive handcrafted glass artworks by 13 renowned Czech artists. — Photo courtesy of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

HÀ NỘI — An exhibition highlighting the artistry and craftsmanship of Czech glassmaking is taking place at the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in Hà Nội until June 13.

The event, entitled Sự Kì Diệu Của Thủy Tinh Séc (The Magic of Czech Glass), is co-organised by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Hà Nội, Czech Culture in Vietnam and the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum.

It introduces to the public 17 exclusive handcrafted glass artworks by 13 renowned Czech artists including Lukas Jaburek, Frantisek Jungvirt, Alena Matejka, Michaela Spruzinová, Lucie Svitorková, Vladimira Klumpar, Natalie Dufkova, Jiri Belda, Viktorie Beldova, Marek Cihal, Tomas Brzon and Petr Stanicky.

Curated by Marika Galova, the exhibition is not only an opportunity for the public to admire the skillfulness of Czech glass designers, but also to appreciate Czech traditional heritage fused with contemporary Czech art.

According to the organisers, The Magic of Czech Glass reflects the current path of Czech glass art and aspires to draw attention to contemporary Czech artists of different generations, experiences, expertise and techniques.

The exhibition has drawn much attention from art enthusiasts in the capital city since its inauguration.

“It is an informative and interesting exhibition. I read about the introduction of the event on Facebook and find the glass objects are even more stunning in reality,” said visitor Nguyễn Văn Dương.

“The skilled Czech artists have elevated glass from just being a material for everyday items like vases, bowls, glasses and chandeliers, to it becoming a medium for creating unique works of art."

The exhibition enables the public to admire the skillfulness of Czech glass makers. Photo courtesy of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

The Czech nation has a centuries-old tradition of glassmaking which has been been admired through out the world during different historical phases. The first peak was in the 18th century, when they became renowned for producing the highest quality Baroque-style glasses.

The golden age of Czech glass production occurred from the early 18th to 19th centuries. It was during this time that the stunning Bohemian crystal chandeliers were exported around the world, establishing their reputation in the world of glass.

The artistry of Czech glass then came again to the fore in the early 20th century, largely thanks to the Lotz Witwe glass factory from Klastersky Mlyn. This factory was the premier and most successful producer of art nouveau style glass in Europe.

The last great era for Czech glass began in the 1950s. It was a harmonious combination of the long historical experience in producing quality glass and highly trained glass craftsmanship. For the first time in history, the leading Czech glass artisans elevated glass into becoming a primary medium from which unique artworks were created.

At the 1958 EXPO held in Brussels, the glass installation works of Rene Roubicek, made of thick-walled blown glass, won the highest award at the time - the Grand Prix.

Also at the event, the fused glass sculpture works by Jaroslava Brychtova and Stanislav Libensky fundamentally changed the technical principles for the glass medium worldwide. — VNS