Master Glassblower Emil Kováč started his career in the Czech glass industry in theeighties. After finishing his training at the renowned Novy Bor Glass school he worked forseveral glass manufacturing companies throughout the region. Emil has since worked asa freelance glassmaker throughout Europe and America and started to develop his ownunique glasswork and designs.The first opportunity to develop his own set of aesthetics presented itself in the year2000, in the form of an annual collaboration project with the National Glass Museum inLeerdam, NL.Emil has continued to work as a freelance maker for the Czech glass industry and otherstudios around the world. In the meantime he has been involvedin helping to set up several community-glass studio-projects in South Africa and alsoteaching a class in design basics at Technicum a university in Pretoria, South Africa.Emil’s glass is very ubiquitous, the influences from Africa are ever present as well as hisdrive to combine these influences with the techniques he has learned over time. Simpleyet strong statement pieces are Emil’s preference.His work balances the colourful and volatile temperament of Africa with the inherentqualities of Czech glass designs.