Object
beryl glass, sanded, cut and polished, sign. Kepka brothers, 1970s, height 35 cm

The brothers Vladimír and Zdeněk Kepka had been making glass since the 1950s under the tutelage of their father in their family business. This business in Kostelec nad Labem was confiscated, but the Kepka brothers could continue making glass there as state employees. Since the beginning, they focused on the technique of sanding, which they perfected technologically. They created a unique, extremely effective machine, in which they used a motor from an army tank for blasting, which allowed them to sand glass in deep relief. During the 1960s and 1970s, they designed three-dimensional glass sculptures made from blocks of glass. They shaped these blocks as sculptures using chisels and cutting, engraving and deep sanding. They received an award at the 11th international industry and art salon in Paris in 1971 for the pieces they created using this method. In the 1970s, their works were successful primarily abroad; they weren’t as well known in Czechoslovakia. In 1982, younger brother Zdeněk emigrated to Germany, ending the brothers’ collaboration. He founded the successful Kepka art studio with his wife Miluše in the German town of Euskirchen and it is still open today.
The sculpture on offer is an example of this original technique.