TOMAS HLAVICKA
Tomas Hlavicka was born in 1950 in Prague, Czechoslovakia. He studied at the Architectural Faculty of the Prague Technical University for 5 years before starting his career in architecture and interior design. While in his studies, Hlavicka met Pavel Hlava, who is considered to be the co-creator and innovator of the modern movement of Czech glass art. A friendship emerged and Hlavicka was asked by Mr. Hlava to assist him in his glass works. This valued knowledge would later enable Hlavicka to develop his own entirely unique and distinct style fusing conceptual methods in studio glass art with new architectural theory inscribing him amongst the great leaders in Czech glass art. Hlavicka continued to apprentice under Hlava as he settled into his work as an architect, focusing and honing his skills in glass design while furthering his understanding of balance, shape, space, and color creation.
In the year 2000, The Koganezaki Crystal Park, a contemporary glass museum in Japan celebrated its third anniversary by staging an exhibition under the theme, “Vessels.” The exhibit displayed 57 glass works pre-selected from a total of 872 applicants representing 36 countries and from this Hlavicka accepted the prize of Honorable Mention for his piece titled “Platinum”. A year later at the 2001 International exhibition of glass in Kanazawa, Japan, 91 works from 25 countries were selected. Hlavicka’s piece titled “Cut”, won the Grand Prize award. Owing to these awards and numerous successful exhibitions around the world Tomas Hlavicka was granted the 2001 European prize for fine art.
