Biography

Petra Hřebačková (b. 1976, Czech Republic) is a contemporary glass artist whose work harmoniously blends meticulous craftsmanship with refined, poetic abstraction. She began her artistic training in ceramics at the Secondary School of Industrial Ceramics in Bechyně (1990–1994), later broadening her focus to fine arts and glass. From 1994 to 1996 she studied at the Institute of Visual Culture at J. E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem under Prof. Pavel Jarkovský, followed by advanced studies at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (AAAD) in the Glass and Ceramics Studio led by Prof. Václav Šerák (1996–2002).

Hřebačková comes from a celebrated glassmaking lineage. She is the granddaughter of world-renowned glass artist Pavel Hlava and the daughter of acclaimed glass sculptor Tomáš Hlavička. Raised in an environment steeped in glass art, she naturally continued the family tradition—yet has developed a distinctly personal artistic voice.

Her practice is rooted in a highly labor-intensive, hands-on process. Each sculpture begins as a detailed drawing and evolves through a sequence of cold-assembled components. Hřebačková designs custom molds, melts the glass into them, and after cooling, meticulously grinds each element into its final contours. Through repeated cycles of assembling, gluing, grinding, and refining, the piece gradually arrives at its completed form, culminating in an exacting polishing stage that reveals the material’s clarity, colour, and depth.

Characterized by luminous colour palettes and abstract, nature-inspired forms, Hřebačková’s works radiate both energy and tranquility. Her sculptures inhabit space with quiet elegance—inviting contemplation as light, colour, and volume interact in fluid, harmonious compositions.

Her artworks are represented in museum collections and private galleries in the Czech Republic and internationally. She has exhibited widely, participating in both solo and group exhibitions across Europe, Canada, the United States, Japan, and Finland.

Firmly grounded in the legacy of Czech studio glass yet shaped by a contemporary sensibility, Petra Hřebačková belongs to a new generation of artists expanding the possibilities of glass. Her work balances tradition with innovation, craftsmanship with imagination—offering a fresh and distinctive contribution to the field of contemporary glass art.

Artwork