Milan Krajíček & Václav Řezáč: On and Off the Road

The Academy of Arts, Architecture & Design in Prague (UMPRUM) has, throughout its existence, educated more than a thousand glass artists, dozens of whom have achieved success not only beyond the borders of the Czech Republic but also across Europe. When Professor Vladimír Kopecký took over the leadership of the glass studio in the 1990s, he introduced a completely different aesthetic compared to his predecessors, led by Professor Stanislav Libenský. Art can be a goal in itself, and the work a record of the creative process. Glass is a material like any other—it serves only the intentions of the artist. There are no taboos, everything is allowed, and the only limits are those we create within ourselves.

Classmates Milan Krajíček and Václav Řezáč, both born in 1977, are among Kopecký's graduates who spent a long time searching for their artistic path in glass. However, this was not passive waiting but a journey of trial and error, through which they gradually gained expressive confidence. Experimentation with glass became an integral part of their creative process. Over time, they have introduced new conceptual, technological, and aesthetically refined ideas that have rightfully gained attention from experts and collectors both at home and abroad.

Today, Milan Krajíček and Václav Řezáč are among the most prominent artists of their generation. They are also educators—Krajíček teaches at the Academy in Světlá nad Sázavou, while Řezáč teaches at the Technical University in Liberec. This exhibition presents a modest yet representative selection of their creative journey. It showcases both older works and their latest pieces—each unique, distinctive, and remarkable. Just like their conscientious, confident, yet never arrogant approach to glassmaking.

 PhDr. Petr Nový, Ph.D.
Museum of Glass and Jewellery in Jablonec nad Nisou

The exhibition takes place from 12 March to 11 April 2025 at the RONA Gallery, Lednické Rovnia, Slovakia.