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There are two different main streams in Slovak glass, the lyric and the geometric, although the geometric is perhaps the stronger of the two. The streams also flow in other directions making for great variety of styles within a small nation. But somehow Slovak glass retains a strong national identity which is both remarkable and very refreshing in this age of globalisation where everything tends to look alike. Even though there are as yet limited outlets for Slovak glass artists it is amazing how many of them there are and that they can all make a livelihood from their work. An impressive number of them are known internationally and have won important glass prizes. Among them is Zora Palova whose international career has involved teaching in Great Britain and winning a major prize at Coburg in 2006. Her work as well as that of Štepán Pala is in the Victoria & Albert Museum as well as in other major museum collections. Young artists like Oliver Leššo are also finding an audience far beyond national borders. Jan Zoritchak and Vladimir Zbyňovský live in France and exhibit internationally, but their Slovak origins are very much recognised because of the nature of their work.
Whilst Vaclav Cigler’s influence still remains the strongest the Bratislava School of Art has benefited from other fine teachers including Arnold Začko and Juraj Gavula, both distinguished artists in their own right. Each of them has brought something important to the Slovak glass scene, allowing it to broaden out whilst retaining a strong national identity. Stepan Pala and Pavel Hloška, each in his own very different way, explore ideas connected with geometry, Pala in various different materials including wood and drawing. Juraj Oprsal and Milos Balgavý have both developed their own very distinctive language of optical geometry. Zora Palova, whilst retaining a geometric feeling in her work has moved towards a more lyrical, colourful and gestural kind of expression. Lukas Mjartan also works in a vein which combines lyricism and geometry. An artist like Palo Macho is able to work in a very different, very personal idiom, whilst Patrick Illo has made his name in the world of design. All this adds up to a diverse yet very distinctive Slovak glass scene which is fast attracting worldwide recognition.
