Jitka Skuhravá | House of Glass Gallery

Jitka Skuhravá,
Czech Republic

Woman in a white shirt examining two colorful transparent blocks with honeycomb-like internal structures

Jitka Skuhravá is a Czech glass artist and designer whose practice brings together sculptural glass, engraving and architectural lighting. Rooted in the traditions of Northern Bohemian glassmaking, her work explores the relationship between nature, light and material through a range of traditional and contemporary glassmaking techniques.

Curatorial Profile

Clear rectangular glass vase with an abstract crisscrossing textured design on a reflective surface

Jitka Skuhravá’s relationship with glass is grounded in both heritage and experimentation. Growing up in a family of glass engravers and stained-glass artists in Northern Bohemia, she developed an early understanding of the material through craftsmanship before expanding her practice through studies in glass engraving and later at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague under Professor Vladimír Kopecký.

This combination of technical knowledge and artistic exploration continues to define her work. Skuhravá moves between engraved and sculptural glass, hot-worked forms and large-scale architectural lighting, allowing the qualities of the material to inform different approaches to form, surface and space.

Nature is a recurring point of reference, particularly in her engraved works. In the Frost Block series, deep cutting and engraving transform solid glass and crystal into layered compositions that evoke ice, frost and winter landscapes. Rather than reproducing nature literally, Skuhravá translates its structures, rhythms and atmospheric qualities into the material.

Her architectural work extends this investigation into space. Since 2007, she has developed lighting sculptures and installations in which glass and light become integral to the architectural environment. Across both intimate objects and large-scale installations, her practice reflects a close understanding of material and an ability to move between traditional craftsmanship and contemporary forms of expression.

House of Glass Gallery

Artist Statement

Glass has been part of my life from an early age. Growing up within a family tradition of glassmaking gave me a deep respect for craftsmanship, but also a desire to continue discovering what the material can do.

Nature has always been an important source of inspiration in my work. I am drawn not only to its forms, but also to its atmosphere, movement and changing light. In my engraved works, particularly the Frost Block series, I use cutting and engraving to create structures within solid glass that recall frost, ice, snow and landscape.

My practice also extends into architectural lighting and large-scale installations. Working at this scale allows me to explore how glass interacts with light, space and architecture, and how an artwork can transform the atmosphere of an interior.

I work across different glassmaking techniques, from engraving and cutting to hot-worked glass, choosing the process according to the idea behind each work. What continues to fascinate me is the unique character of glass — its fragility and strength, its relationship with light, and the possibilities that emerge through working directly with the material.