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© All rights reserved
© Gabriel Urbánek
© All rights reserved
© Milan Pekař

Milan Pekař

  • Ceramicist
  • Prague, Czech Republic
  • Master Artisan
Milan Pekař Ceramicist
Contact
Czech, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+420 775159877
© Salim Issa

When science meets art

  • • Milan's work combines art, craft and science
  • • He is fascinated by ceramic glazes and processes
  • • His work combines smooth shapes and crystal surfaces

Milan Pekař's slip cast porcelain vases balance function and artistry. Each handmade vase is one-of-a-kind, with delicate patterns, a unique structure and textures, and colours which change according to the light. Milan has spent countless hours and overcome many disasters to finally pin down a satisfactory formula for his work. This perfect combination of glaze and firing temperature results in spontaneous crystalline growth on the surface of his pieces, speeding up a process that in the natural world would take several thousand years. Milan's search for new colours has resulted in some unusual glazes, such as very rare metallic crystalline glazes inspired by ancient Islamic techniques.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Gabriel Urbánek
  • © Gabriel Urbánek
  • © Gabriel Urbánek
  • © Gabriel Urbánek
  • © Gabriel Urbánek
Photo: © Gabriel Urbánek
Red crystal vases

These red porcelain vases were thrown on a potter’s wheel. To achieve their crystal-like finish, Milan applied a mixture of ceramic glazes on the vases and controlled their firing by alternating high and low temperatures for several hours.

Height 36 cm
Diameter 22 cm
Height 22 cm
Diameter 12 cm
Height 17 cm
Diameter 10 cm

Photo: © Gabriel Urbánek
Volume – white crystal glaze

Part of the Volume series, these vases explore the relationship between ceramics and sensory perception. To achieve their pale, crystal-like finish, Milan used neodymium oxide, a chemical compound that creates colour variations, from light blue to pink, depending on the light.

Height 48 cm
Diameter 32 cm
Height 52 cm
Diameter 19 cm
Height 27 cm
Diameter 27 cm
Height 24 cm
Diameter 15 cm
Height 15 cm
Diameter 11 cm

Photo: © Gabriel Urbánek
Yellow crystal vase

This yellow porcelain vase is adorned with gingko-shaped crystal patterns, achieved through the combination of coloured oxides and a specific firing temperature curve.

Height 50 cm
Diameter 24 cm

Photo: © Gabriel Urbánek
Molybdenum crystal vase

The subtle and illusory crystal-like finish on this vase is among the most difficult to achieve. Molybdenum crystal patterns are so unpredictable, it took Milan hundreds of tests to obtain the desired rainbow patterns.

Height 26 cm
Diameter 15 cm

Photo: © Gabriel Urbánek
Magazine table

This small table is composed of ceramic tubes attached together using a hand press machine during the cooling stage. Each tube is made of terracotta and fired at a very high temperature.

Height 50 cm
Length 74 cm
Width 32 cm

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