Josef Marek

"Open Universe" abstract glass sculpture by Czech artist Josef Marek

2024

The sculptor Josef Marek shares his time between the Czech Republic and Cyprus. He studied at the Secondary School of Applied Arts for glass in Kamenicky Senov (1978-1982) in the former Czechoslovakia. After graduating, he became a glass cutter at Crystalex EX BOR, a nationalized corporation at that time. He was a teacher in the local glass technical school (1986-1989) for three years, then moved to Prague and became designer and glass cutter for a year in the Centre of Applied Arts. After the 1989 "Velvet Revolution" in the Czech Republic, admission to a school was no longer decided based on political views but on the merits for creative work, and Marek was accepted at the University of Fine Arts and Architecture. There, he studied under professors Ak.Mal. Vladimir Kopecky and Ak Soch. Marian Karel. After completing his graduate studies (1997-2000), Marek worked as a visiting professor at Japan's Toyama Institute of Glass ART, where he continued with the interest in his earlier work, focusing on re-melting glass in molds, cutting, polishing, and combining glass with stone. A new technique for him was working with polished stainless steel and copper plates, which he combined with glass. Since returning to the Czech Republic, Marek has created more compelling and visually stimulating works influenced by the culture and aesthetics of the land of the rising sun. He often combines glass with contrasting materials, creating an illusionary space consisting of transparent and opaque masses, maximizing contrasts that captivate the viewer. However, his work is dominated by sculptures made only of glass, where he seeks maximum simplicity but enriches the work with details on the surface and inside the mass. He also uses glass techniques such as structural etching and the almost forgotten art of glue-chipping, or tarnishing. Josef Marek has participated in many group exhibitions in Europe and overseas. He has had several solo exhibitions in Japan, Paris, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Germany. The 2021 online exhibition "Infinity Trapped" with Sculpturesite Gallery is his first with a predominantly American gallery.