Alena Matejka

Alena Matejka (Alena Matějková) (born January 26, 1966 in Jindřichův Hradec) is a Czech sculptor and glass designer. She works with other materials as well, often in combinations.

Education

Matejka is educated in the Czech glass tradition, and studied at the Secondary School of Glassmaking in Kamenický Šenov from 1981 until 1985. She was a student of Prof. Vladimir Kopecky at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague (AAAD) between 1989 and 1997. In 1995 she studied for two months at The Glasgow School of Art, Ceramic Department. From 2000–2005 she studied to a doctoral degree (Ph.D.), again at the AAAD.[1]

Work

Matejka creates both small and large sculptures from stone, marble, glass and even ice. She creates small sculptures which float on water, but also builds huge installations such as the one in the underground Baroque casemates (structure of vaults and corridors) at Vyšehrad.

Gorlice is a major work or installation in the underground hall in the old castle of Vysehrad, where she added a new dimension to the room with her work. It consisted of a central colonnade of stone, with multiple stops, each with a sculpture that symbolizes the choices one faces in life.

During a stay in Scotland in 1995, she found an interest in studying ancient tombs and their ornamentation. She also visited old settlements. Later, she made a series of kettles in glass. This has fragments from her journey in Scotland, inspired by the landscape, the people, and the old Scottish culture. The kettles got chassis, wheels and fictional royal names.

I sink, therefore I am in 2007, is a bath tub made out of a single block of red granite from Sweden. The title is a paraphrase of the philosopher René Descartes famous statement, I think, therefore I am. Outside the tub is a longer quote by Descartes. It took two years to create the work, which can be interpreted in several ways. The stone is risen from the depths of the earth (igneous rock), it's also a bath tub where one drops down in water.[2]

For her sculptures in stone and glass, she received first prize in international competitions in both Murano, Italy (1996) and Ebeltoft, Denmark (1997).[3]

Projects

She has been involved in several projects within the three-dimensional expression, often in collaboration with her husband Lars Widenfalk. He is a sculptor and works mainly with stone; usually marble and granite, but also with other materials such as glass.

Artlantis is one of these projects. It takes as its theme the myth of Atlantis, the legendary city that disappeared beneath the ocean. It consisted of eight water containers of glass. In four of this containers Alena Matejka place four various houses of granite, all in different size and architectural style. Over the houses, hanging in the water are small sculptures shaped like flowers, boats, doll heads and three hundred glass beads. These are all made of a special glass that reflects light in a distinctive way. Matejkas contribution was more the dreamy, fantasies and thoughts. Lars Widenfalk chose a more concrete or archaeological approach, with its granite sculptures of humans with live fish in the water containers.[4]

Bed of Roses is made of ice and roses under the stay in Luleå Winter Biennial. A large «bed» (ice block) in transparent ice is placed inside a housing. Frozen inside the «bed» is a lot of red roses. The ice is the symbol of eternity, while roses symbolize life and love.[5]

Another project was Magic Carpet, which consists of large flying carpets made of glass. The two heaviest glass carpets weighing 300 kg each [1][6][7]

Publications

Bibliography

Catalogue and exhibition

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 Sylva Petrova, Research Professor and Director of Institute for International Research in Glass asks Alena 10 questions.
  2. ↑ I sink - Therefore I am - www.alenamatejka.com (accessed 15 September 2012)
  3. ↑ Dwinger, Jonna: Varieret ung glaskunst, Dansk kunsthåndværker blandt prismodtagerne ved Young Glass 97, Politikken 8.6.1997, Danmark
  4. ↑ Artlantis Project - www.matejkova.com (accessed 15 September 2012)
  5. ↑ Project Bed of Roses - www.matejkova.com (accessed 15 september 2012)
  6. ↑ Magic Carpet - www.matejkova.com ( accessed 15 September 2012)
  7. ↑ Record as Artist Produces World´s Largest Kiln-formed Glass Piece, The Northern Echo 7.2.2004, Sunderland, UK, 9

External links

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