<p>P95th anniversary is celebrated by glass artist Jaroslava Brychtová.</p>

Prague - Sculptor and glass artist Jaroslava Brychtová, who will celebrate her 95th birthday on July 18, created, together with her husband Stanislav Libenský, a team of top and recognized glassmakers for nearly half a century. Both significantly contributed to the development of modern artistic glass. Their works, which are represented in numerous galleries and collections, are among the most expensive and sought after in the world market. Libenský passed away in 2002, and Brychtová continued to work independently.

Both focused on the artistic evaluation of the technology of melted glass. Thanks to them, art-focused glass became a defining element of many buildings and, as such, a part of architecture. Their melted glass sculptures were the first of their kind in the world and sparked interest. In their joint works, Brychtová applied her sculptural education, while Libenský brought in his painting experience. Until the early 1990s, the couple exhibited more abroad than in the Czech Republic.

From their author's workshop comes, for example, the so-called negative cavity, where colorful and light effects can be seen inside uncolored glass. The artists created many glass sculptures together, using painted, etched, and cut glass; they also produced stained glass. The work of Brychtová and Libenský was exhibited and awarded at the Expo exhibitions in Brussels (1958), Montreal (1967), and Osaka (1970) - where their 22-meter sculpture titled "River of Life" garnered significant attention.

Among the realizations of the Libenský - Brychtová duo are the stained glass windows in the chapel of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague, the glass cloak of the New Stage of the National Theatre in Prague (in collaboration with architect Karel Prager), the entrance hall of the International Hotel in Brno, the interior decoration of the Ještěd transmitter, and the windows of chapels in Horšovský Týn and at Špilberk in Brno.

Brychtová was born in Železný Brod (1924). Her father was the sculptor Jaroslav Brychta, famous for creating renowned Železný Brod figures from pulled and blown glass. Jaroslava studied at the AAAD (Applied Arts School) in Karel Štípl's studio and at the Academy of Fine Arts under Jan Lauda (1947 to 1950). She worked as a design artist at the Železnobrodské glass company (1950 to 1984), and then worked in her own studio.

In 2005, she received the Medal of Merit for her contributions to the state in the field of art.