Szkło [Polish: glass, pronounced /shkwo/] are functional glass sculptures and collectible design objects, hand-blown by Aleksandra Zawistowska with a team of craftsmen. Szkło is a celebration of materials and the glassblowing process, with no two pieces alike.
Szkło is a combination of an imaginary approach, years of craftsmanship experience and an admiration for the raw material. Szkło stems from challenging the conventional glassblowing process, turning it into a playful experiment instead. As no traditional moulds are used in the process, the sculptures assume coincidental, spontaneous forms, often challenging the notion of beauty. The glassblowing process becomes as important as the final form itself.
The mission of Szkło is to push the boundaries of functionality and material characteristics, turning the simple act of eating and drinking into an experience. It celebrates uniqueness and diversity. It is an invitation to limit our possessions and enjoy the quality of individual objects instead.
Szkło Studio has exhibited internationally at the Museum of Modern Art, Warsaw and Museum of Earth, Warsaw, Milan Design Week, Design Parade Toulon, NYCxDESIGN, European Parliament, Strasbourg, Nilufar Depot, Milan, R&Company, NYC, OBJEKT Gallery, Warsaw and many others. Szkło Studio’s creations have been featured in international publications.
Studio was established by Aleksandra and her brother Wojciech Zawistowski in 2022.
Aleksandra Zawistowska
- artist, designer, whose practice primarily explores sculpture, navigating an expansive range of materials, techniques, and scales. With her major focus on hand-blown glass, this versatility in her work often leads her to travel across Europe, engaging with various workshops and environments to expand her creative processes.
Her approach to making is deeply organic and intuitive, where final forms challenge the physical limits of materials and question conventional notions of beauty. Inspired by nature, geology, and the built environment, Aleksandra’s work blends scientific inquiry, cultural exploration, and often ventures into the realms of the unknown. Her art is a fusion of political interests, anthropological and historical research, aiming to create post-national connections that transcend borders. With a background in architecture, Aleksandra’s work is heavily influenced by local typologies and forms.
Aleksandra is a graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Warsaw University of Technology and the Studio for Immediate Spaces at Sandberg Institute, holding master degrees in both, Art and Architecture.
AD100 2024 honoree, finalist of the “Kunszt. More Light” competition by the Starak Family Foundation, and UrbanGlass scholarship-holder in Brooklyn. Artist in Residence of Baltic Gallery of Contemporary Art in Ustka and Arctic Circle Expedition of Open Bey Art and Science Center in Svalbard Archipelago.
