The title of Grand Designer of the Year was awarded to jewelers Vacek and Pošta

Winners Vacek and Pošta; Photo: 2011.czechgranddesign.cz

Prague - The title of Grand Designer of the Year 2011 was awarded today to jewelry designers Zdeněk Vacek and Daniel Pošta at the Stavovské Theater in Prague. In the sixth annual competition of the Academy of Design of the Czech Republic, they received the most votes among all nominees in all categories. They are also the winners of the jewelry designer category, which was contested for the first time this year. Like previous laureates, the winners will design the award for the next year.
    This year's award was created by Michal Froněk and Jan Němeček from the Olgoj Chorchoj studio. They devised a large cast iron medal with the number one. Zdeněk Vacek and Daniel Pošta received the award for their Virus collection and the concept of the Zorya brand. In the Virus collection, they experimented with chemical processes, initially testing ropes that would grow crystals of alum, and subsequently created jewelry from red gold and surgical steel featuring raw diamonds, pearls, and pyrites.
    Discovery of the Year was awarded to Klára Šumová for her seating furniture "Settled Landscape" and the floral tables "Tables of Plants." In the Designer of the Year category, Rony Plesl won; the academics appreciated his chandelier "Uovo" and the drink set "Poppyhead." Among fashion designers, Zuzana Kubíčková triumphed with her spring-summer 2012 collection.
    The Graphic Designer of the Year became Štěpán Malovec for the book "Ladislav Sutnar: American Venuses" and his work on posters for the Museum of Applied Arts in Prague. The Photographer of the Year category belongs to Bára Prášilová, who competed with photographs from the "Air Force" collection for designer Hana Zárubová.
    Store of the Year 2011 is the stationery shop Papelote, and Manufacturer of the Year 2011 is the company Lasvit for last year's collection of lighting fixtures and chandeliers designed, among others, by the awarded Rony Plesl.
    Visitors to the exhibition of nominated creators and exhibits at the National Technical Museum selected from nominations across categories and chose five candidates for the public prize. Internet voting then picked Jaroslav Bejvl Jr. and his unconventional lighting fixtures complemented by curtains of glass beads. The exhibition at the museum will last until April 29. A recording of this evening will be presented by Czech Television on March 17.
    Like in other fields, the annual awards for best design aim to regularly highlight exceptional personalities and achievements in the given field to the professional and lay public. The Czech Grand Design Awards are organized by Profil Media, which has been preparing the Designblok exhibition in Prague for several years.