Zuzana Kubelková trained in glassmaking in North Bohemia. She creates glass objects, installations, paintings and drawings. Her main interest lies in combining glass with other materials and techniques, using their different characteristics to search for new experimental processes. Zuzana is open to all techniques especially casting and blowing, she experiments with colours, structures and chemicals. Since 2007, she has been involved in various exhibition projects and has successfully participated in international competitions, most recently receiving first prize at Young Glass 2017 in the Danish town of Ebeltoft, Achilles Stiftung prize at Cobrug Glass Prize 2022 and in the same year the third prize in Milano Vetro under 35 in Italy. Her objects are on show at Veste Coburg in Germany, in Glasmuseet Ebeltoft in Denmark and in many private collections all over the world.

interview_1-jpg-3841.jpeg

2921-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-INTERVIEW-2) _DSC0409.jpg.jpeg

5361-portrait-zuzana-k.jpg.jpeg

7566-panoramic.jpg.jpeg

3191-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-MIX AND MATCH-5) Deformation process_2012_kiln cast glass_photo_Gabriel Urb†nek (1).jpg.jpeg

3278-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-MIX AND MATCH-1) kubelkova_foto_tomas_princ (5).jpg.jpeg

2960-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-MIX AND MATCH-3) kubelkova_foto_tomas_princ (31).jpg.jpeg

3922-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-MIX AND MATCH-4) _kubelkova_foto_tomas_princ (14).jpg.jpeg

1610403127_portrait-jpg.jpeg

9486-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-MIX AND MATCH-2) _kubelkova_foto_tomas_princ (17).jpg.jpeg

9785-CZECH REPUBLIC-ZUZANA KUBELKOVA-INTERVIEW-3) kubelkova_foto_tomas_princ (23).jpg.jpeg

This piece is part of a series of objects exploring the combination of fibreglass and basalt fibre. Both materials are used in protective clothing to enable them to withstand high temperatures. Paradoxically, Zuzana has melted them in an attempt to rid them of this attribute.

Polyp

1665043382_polyp_zuzana-kubelkova-artisan_-gabriel-urbanek-jp.jpeg

This light green vessel is part of a series of objects exploring the combination of fibreglass and basalt fibre. Both materials are used in protective clothing to enable them to withstand high temperatures. Paradoxically, Zuzana has melted them in an attempt to rid them of this attribute.

Fiber

1665043228_2-fiber_zuzana-kubelkova-artisan_-gabriel-urbanek-.jpeg

These glass pieces are blown into a plaster mould using the Swedish overlay technique in combination with basalt fabric, giving the vases a unique texture. The white and blue contrast with the black basalt lines.

Icy blue

1665043522_icy-blue-frozen-landscape-series-_2021_blown-glass.jpeg

The glass sculpture, for installation on a pedestal, is a combination of recycled grinding wheel and cast glass. The glass changes colour from green to pink depending on natural or artificial light. All the pieces are glued together.

Shrimp

1665043480_shrimp_2019_zuzka-kubelkova_kiln-casted-cut-glass_.jpeg

The glass sculpture, for installation on a pedestal, is made from a combination of recycled grinding wheel and cast glass. The yellow and brown colours give the piece attractive tones from head to tail. All the pieces are glued together.

Tremors

1665043441_tremors_2019_zuzana-kubelkova_kiln-casted-cut-glas.jpeg

The form of Ondřej Strnadel’s objects comes from his direct hands-on experience with the material. He carefully observes the behaviour of the glass bubble as it is blown and, at the right moment, by making small, refined movements with his mouth, he changes the shape of it. The resulting objects, either abstract or suggesting shapes such as soap or corn, have a silky matt surface and delicate colours that change shade depending on the thickness of the glass and its translucency, therefore emphasising the object's shape. Thanks to Ondřej's fine craftsmanship, he is sought after by many artists who want to harness his skills to realise their ideas.

Strnadel, Ondřej

From hand to mouth

6784-MM3.jpg.jpeg

8473-MM4.jpg.jpeg

52-MM5.jpg.jpeg

2531-ITW1.jpg.jpeg

7870-ITW2.jpg.jpeg

3975-ITW3.jpg.jpeg

5657-Potrtait.jpg.jpeg

1610728534_portrait-jpg.jpeg

3341-MM1-2.jpg.jpeg

3454-PANORAMIC.jpg.jpeg

Ivan Mareš trained under the legendary professor Libensky. It is therefore no surprise that monumental molten glass objects are dominant in his work. Ivan´s production is not extensive, but more serious and artistically convincing. Ideas hatch in the silence of nature, under starry night skies with their strange sounds and the rustle of moth wings. These impressions and experiences are then locked in the heart of the sculpture, seen through a peek inside a polished, transparent spot. For a while the viewer can see the bustle inside, but soon it vanishes in the depth of the substance, disappearing in myriads of bubbles. Ivan breaks the technological limits of mould melting with each new piece and has the skills to execute large-scale artworks requiring upto several months of work.

Mareš, Ivan

Impressions locked in glass

1623835669_1-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835674_2-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835679_3-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835688_1-2-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-.jpeg

1623835692_3-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835696_4-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835701_5-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

1623835715_3-ivan-mares-artisan_johana-posova-michelangelo-fo.jpeg

Vlastimil Beránek comes from a well known family of glassmakers which has been connected to the Škrdlovice Glassworks in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands since 1941. When the Communist regime expropriated the glassworks, the Beránek family became employees there. In 1992 the glassworks returned to the family and Vlastimil Beránek became the owner. The production of handmade, colourful bowls, vases and ashtrays continued for the next 16 years, when the glassworks closed. By that time Vlastimil Beránek had become highly skilled in mould melting, and today he develops this technique in cooperation with the Crystal Caviar company.

Beránek, Vlastimil

Seeing the world through glass

6477-Portrait.jpg.jpeg

7320-ITW3.jpg.jpeg

544-MM1.jpg.jpeg

435-MM2.jpg.jpeg

6467-MM4.jpg.jpeg

8992-MM5.jpg.jpeg

7628-MM3.jpg.jpeg

8752-ITW1.jpg.jpeg

beranek-int2-jpg-5933.jpeg

9048-PANORAMIC.jpg.jpeg

Looking at the works of Jakub Janďourek, it is easy to forget that glass derives from sand; it is as if only air shaped these objects. Even the requisite fire vanishes from one's mind. His colour range consists of subtle, pastel tones giving a translucent coating to the forms, while the simplistic, neat contours are disrupted by organic curves. Despite his minimalist style, Jakub's works also have a certain playfulness at their core. "I just play with glass," he explains. "Sometimes, when working on a piece, I spot something peculiar, and regardless of my original plan, I stop and leave the object as it is." This openmindedness, as opposed to sticking to rigid rules, makes his creations sophisticated.

Janďourek, Jakub

Working on instinct

1610362398_craft-jpg.jpeg

1602087529_itw1-jpg.jpeg

3323-panoramique.jpg.jpeg

7601-MM3.jpg.jpeg

3045-MM4.jpg.jpeg

8783-MM5.jpg.jpeg

966-portrait.jpg.jpeg

6094-ITW2.jpg.jpeg

3171-ITW3.jpg.jpeg

3281-MM1-2.jpg.jpeg

Your authorizations

Developed in partnership with Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte and made possible by the support of Cartier, Homo Faber in Città gives you a rare chance to visit over 70 artisan workshops. The project is developed in collaboration with Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Confartigianato Imprese Venezia, CNA Venezia, Consorzio Promovetro Murano, The Venice Glass Week and Venezia da Vivere.

Our Partners

Step inside the workshops and ateliers to learn the secrets of local master artisans and manufacturers

Try your hand at different crafts with an authentic experience

Marvel at examples of fine craftsmanship by doing our itineraries

This september, the second edition of Homo Faber in Città invites visitors to step off the beaten track and discover the artisanal addresses where Venetian craftspeople create objects of exquisite beauty. A rare opportunity to witness Venice’s master artisans and young talents demonstrating their crafts and presenting the tools, materials and skills involved in contemporary Venetian craftsmanship.

Enrich your experience beyond Homo Faber 2024: The Journey of Life

Account and data history

Name

Homo Faber Guide is an online portal dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship, showcasing artisans, ateliers, museums, galleries, shops and experiences. Create your user account for access to exclusive features on Homo Faber Guide: save your preferred pages, hear about hot topics first, leave recommendations for your favourite artisans and much more.

Create your account

Although the Michelangelo Foundation researches the talents for its projects autonomously, collaboration with our ambassadors is fundamental. Over 120 associations, schools and institutions allow us to map the continents for craftsmanship and to have partners in each country who share our vision and goals. In addition, we have asked well-known personalities in the craft, design and art world to be our ambassadors in the cities where they live, so that their recommendations can offer a unique insight into craftsmanship in the major cities of Europe and beyond.

Who are our ambassadors?

Download our free Homo Faber Guide app (iOS and Android) to discover artisans, museums, galleries, shops, and experiences by location. Search Homo Faber on the App store on your mobile device.

Find craftsmanship destinations on the go

Discover the addresses of esteemed manufacturers, well known for producing high quality objects across a wide variety of crafts. Read their stories and find out where you can shop their contemporary pieces, see their archive collections and even in some cases visit their workshops. Find exceptional ateliers where artisans collaborate creatively to create fine pieces of craftsmanship. Reach out to them to commission something special.

Ateliers & Manufacturers

All the artisans and small workshops featured in Homo Faber Guide have been carefully researched and selected. They are presented and narrated through a selection of images and an interview, which allows readers to immerse themselves in the universe of these makers who exemplify excellence in their individual fields or are promising talents of the future. Find masters and rising stars who share the same passion and determination, and whose workshops are ready to share their secrets with visitors.

A selection of the best artisans

Are you eager to discover a city through craftsmanship? Do you wish to spend a few hours visiting an applied arts museum or attending a course on a craft with one of the masters featured in Homo Faber Guide? Browse the section dedicated to experiences and find your next adventure.

Experiences

An expert artisan is an accomplished artisan who has been in activity for more than ten years. He or she may also be engaged in passing on their knowledge to the next generations, but they have been doing so for less than seven years. Beyond this, they will become a Master artisan.

Who is an Expert artisan?

Homo Faber Guide provides you with a selection of the best addresses across Europe and further afield, where you will be able to discover and purchase exceptional objects, some of which are created by artisans featured in Homo Faber Guide.

Galleries

Homo Faber Guide is an online platform dedicated to craftsmanship that allows you to discover artisans and their masterpieces; explore museums, visit galleries and shops selling unique objects; enjoy experiences in cities across Europe and beyond.

Homo Faber Guide is a signature project developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, an international non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland, which was set up in 2016 thanks to the intuition of Franco Cologni and Johann Rupert. The Michelangelo Foundation’s mission is to celebrate and preserve master craftsmanship, and for this reason it has created a map of the most significant representatives in this field, with the aim of connecting all its protagonists: artisans, designers, gallery owners, art curators, collectors and enthusiasts of high-quality handmade pieces.

About the Guide

Are you an artisan, atelier or manufacturer? Would you like to be featured in Homo Faber Guide? The Michelangelo Foundation encourages self-assessment initiatives and is pleased to evaluate new members to appear on the Guide or in other projects. Thanks to the Master’s Touch Evaluation Tool, every artisan can send their application: register and access a questionnaire to see if you fulfill the 11 criteria for excellence that stand behind all the activities of the Michelangelo Foundation. If your answers reach the minimum requirement, your application will be brought to our attention; if, on the contrary, you should score below the minimum requirement, we will give you some points for improvement, in the hope that you may participate in future initiatives of the Michelangelo Foundation.

Join the Homo Faber Guide!

Our artisan labels

A master artisan is an accomplished artisan who has been in activity for more than ten years, and who has also been engaged in passing on his or her expertise to the younger generations for more than seven years. This is in keeping with one of the key values of the Michelangelo Foundation: the transmission of knowledge in craftsmanship.

Who is a Master artisan?

Find museums handpicked for their links to contemporary craftsmanship and the exquisite collections they have on display. In each city, discover a museum of interest and organise your visit. From Italian museums displaying coral collections, glass pieces and ceramics to decorative art museums in Russia and Greece, marvel at the variety of museums exhibiting masterpieces, showcasing techniques and recounting histories.

Museums

A rising star is an artisan who has been active for less than ten years, and who is capable of expressing his or her craft with competence, creativity and originality. Whether self-taught or trained, the rising star represents the future of craftsmanship, in creativity, concerns and approaches.

Who is a Rising star?

The artisans featured in Homo Faber Guide have been selected through a meticulous assessment process based on the 11 criteria for excellence, identified by Alberto Cavalli, Executive Director of the Michelangelo Foundation, in the volume The Master’s Touch, written with researchers Giuditta Comerci and Giovanna Marchello. The members of the Michelangelo Foundation’s network who have been invited to participate in sourcing artisans for the Guide use an evaluation tool based on these criteria. In this way, they can identify the most suitable artisans to include in the project.

Simple rules for a transparent selection

In which city does the artisan work?

In which country does the artisan practise?

What craft does the artisan practise?

What is the artisan’s Instagram page?

What is the name of the artisan you are recommending?

Does the artisan have a website?

Hello, I thought you would be interested in this ambassador of crafts I found on Homo Faber Guide:

Hello, I invite you to explore craft through the Homo Faber App:

Hello, I thought you would be interested in this craft experience I found on Homo Faber Guide:

Hello, I thought you would be interested in this craft venue I found on Homo Faber Guide:

Hello, I thought you would be interested in this craft discovery itinerary I found on Homo Faber Guide:

Hello, I thought you would be interested in this handcrafted object I found on Homo Faber Guide: