Tomáš Libertíny

Wax worker

©Studio Libertiny

Honeycomb sculptures

Tomáš uses conceptual design to tell stories
Bees are his collaborating partner
He likes to pay homage to the past

Through his conceptual art, Tomáš Libertíny explores the beauty and intelligence of nature, as well as existential themes. One of his special and imaginative projects involved constructing beehive scaffolds in the shape of an amphora with the head of Nefertiti and a huge teapot, to entice bees to build their honeycomb upon them, layer by layer. The results are tactile, deceivingly delicate-looking honeycomb sculptures, in the same shape as the original scaffold. Tomáš defines himself as an artist who “dresses up intellectual investigations into aesthetic presentations.” He draws on research, artistic curiosity, and architectural model-making skills honed while working for the architect Rem Koolhaas, prior to setting up his own studio in 2007.

Interview

©Miro Nota

©Studio Libertiny

Do you master any specific techniques?: My collaboration with bees. Using blue Bic ink from biros, incorporating it into my designs, as for me it represents the colour of space, dark nights, sunsets. There’s something contemplative, melancholic – it takes you away.
What is it you ultimately wish to convey through your art?: Various stories. The bee sculptures are a metaphor, fragility versus strength. Seemingly fragile people can be resilient on the inside. Beeswax as a material is vulnerable, yet it is one of the most durable natural materials.
What inspires you to create your designs?: Literary ideas, science, nature, botanical gardens and museums. I like to watch documentaries, read science magazines. Building on other people's creations and in that way paying homage to the past.
What does "well made" mean to you?: When I can see somebody has put an effort into the making and there is an understanding of what one is doing. It can manifest itself in different ways. It’s not always about perfectionism, simplicity can be well done.

Tomáš Libertíny is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2006