The artist worked with molten glass as a sculptural material, modelling its mass in the tension between full and empty volumes, matt and glossy surfaces, and textured and smooth finishes. The result of her emotional, spontaneous, yet studious work is a series of glass sculptures that captivate with their unique forms and vibrant colours.
Zora Palová (1947–2025) studied woodcarving at the High School of Applied Arts and later attended the Studio of Glass in Architecture at the AFAD in Bratislava. Early in her career, she focused on glass jewellery, architectural designs for ceremonial halls, and optical glass objects. In the late 1980s, she turned to cast glass sculpture. During the 1990s, her motifs often featured geometric and architectural structures, but over time her work transitioned towards representations of natural elements and phenomena and botanical details.
From 1996 until 2004, she held a prestigious professorship at the University of Sunderland in the United Kingdom. Within the context of Slovak sculpture, her work has yet to receive the recognition it deserves, being more fully appreciated abroad, where she has garnered repeated success at international studio glass exhibitions. Today, her works feature within the collections of several of the world’s leading institutions.
