Lukáš Jabůrek | Bold Colour and Complex Cutting

Glass artist and designer Lukáš Jabůrek merges traditional craftsmanship with a daring exploration of colour, optical refraction, and glass depth. After working as an artist, technologist, and artistic director at Moser (2007–2018), he embarked on an independent artistic path. In his own studio and cutting workshop in Jirkov, he revives the glassmaking traditions of the Ore Mountains region.

He primarily designs decorative and drinkware glass for both hand and machine production, personally hand-cutting limited editions of artistic pieces. Collaborating with architects and interior designers, he creates unique objects and collections tailored to specific spaces. Jabůrek sees glass as an honest and expressive material: each piece tells its own story, evokes emotions, and carries subtle symbolism. His work often combines bold colours with intricate cutting, which gives every piece a distinctive character.

– What type of glass do you work with most often?
Since most of my work is handmade, I primarily use soda-lime crystal glass. It is ideal for decorative interior glass. For drinkware collections, I use titanium glass for its excellent properties in gastronomy. Optical glass is often used for awards, trophies, and gifts; it is perfectly clear, with beautiful optics and a cold hardness.


– You also specialize in glass sculptures and large interior objects. What are the limits for these realizations?
Paradoxically, the greatest limits are often logistics and transport. For a large hand-cut sailboat sculpture in a villa in Croatia, the client also requested a large table as a pedestal, made of gilded iron plates and marble. The whole project took about a year, with the most challenging part being preparation for transport.
Conversely, for crystal objects in a VIP car showroom in Klatovy, I was strongly limited by time. Large-format objects composed of roughly a thousand pieces combined with metal structures had to be assembled directly on site.


– You designed outdoor glass pieces for Moser, such as glass bushes. Are there limitations for exterior installations?
I would say the greater limitations come from people rather than the glass. Naturally, for exterior installations, weather conditions must be considered, and the construction must be adapted accordingly. Specifically for the crystal bushes at the Moser glassworks, the biggest challenge was visitors breaking small crystal birds off the bushes as souvenirs. At first, we tried to repair and replace them, but eventually we gave up.


– Are your works purely decorative, or do they have functional purposes?
My portfolio is wide, but often I use the vase form. Even though it is intricately cut and expensive, it remains functional, though it has become more like a sculpture. My cut pieces are primarily meant to provide aesthetic value, bringing colour, joy, beauty, positive energy, and well-being to interiors.


– Do you create site-specific pieces, or do clients select from existing works?
It’s about fifty-fifty. Either I design objects specifically for the interior and oversee the entire realization, or clients choose from the existing portfolio. It depends on their demands: some want unique pieces created specifically for them, while others have already selected a vase or collection that perfectly fits their vision.


– What do your collections for architects and interior designers include?
They include hand-cut interior accessories such as bowls, vases, candle holders, and drinkware sets, as well as decorative and light objects. For example, in a developer’s project, an architect and interior designer may choose suitable accessories to complement the overall concept.


– Who are your clients and what types of projects do you most frequently design for?
They are diverse, ranging from private collectors to developers, embassies and consulates, renowned Czech and international companies, hotels, and restaurants.