Jaroslav Wasserbauer
Jaroslav Wasserbauer (b. 1962, Nové Město na Moravě) occupies a distinguished position within the lineage of Czech studio glass, continuing and reinterpreting the sculptural tradition established by figures such as Stanislav Libenský, Jaroslava Brychtová, and Vladimír Kopecký. Trained at the glassmaking school in Světlá nad Sázavou and further refined through professional experience as a glass cutter, Wasserbauer established his independent studio at the age of twenty-six, committing early to an autonomous artistic path. His practice is grounded in the Czech understanding of glass not as decorative craft, but as a serious sculptural medium capable of architectural presence and conceptual depth.
Working primarily with kiln-cast (fused) glass, Wasserbauer has developed a highly individual language defined by disciplined control of mass, geometric clarity, and a precise orchestration of light. His sculptures are constructed through clearly structured forms often inspired by architecture—evoking skyscrapers, urban silhouettes, and futuristic spatial systems—yet tempered by subtle organic inflections. Over time, pure geometry in his work has softened to incorporate restrained botanical references and fibrous or relief-like textures, though architectural order remains foundational. Transparency, surface modulation, and the interplay between matte and polished planes enable light to penetrate the interior volume, generating a profound spatial depth that becomes central to the viewer’s experience.
A defining feature of Wasserbauer’s practice is his complete authorship of the creative process. From initial sketches and plaster models to casting, kiln control, cooling cycles, cutting, grinding, and final surface treatment, he executes each phase personally. For him, sculpture is fundamentally manual labour, where perseverance and technical mastery are inseparable from artistic integrity. This total command over material allows glass to assume a paradoxical character in his work: it acquires the gravity and monumentality of stone while retaining its intrinsic luminosity and capacity to engage light as an internal structural element.
Wasserbauer may be described as a progressive traditionalist—an artist who advances the language of Czech glass while remaining deeply rooted in its sculptural heritage. His exhibition and
collection footprint indicates sustained international visibility. The artist’s official biography page lists exhibitions and fairs across Europe and North America (e.g., Toronto;Hamburg; the USA; Amsterdam; Florence Biennale; and Dubai Expo 2020, staged 2021–2022). His works are representing the highest standard of Czech glass as sculptural fine art. Through his rigorous technique and architectural sensibility, he demonstrates how glass can transcend its material fragility to become a medium of permanence, contemplation, and spatial authority.