ILJA BÍLEK, Associate Professor and Academic Painter

 

   
1948 Born Dec. 21,1948 in Liberec, Czechoslovakia
1965 – 1969 Earned undergraduate degree in off-hand shaped hot glass at the Secondary
  School of Glassmaking in Železný Brod
1969 – 1975 Graduate studies at Glass Studio with Prof. Stanislav Libenský, Academy of Applied Arts (VŠUP), Prague
1975 – 1992 Glass designer of mould-melted sculpture and designs of hot-formed glass, Železnobrodské sklo Glassworks   
1992 – 1995        Freelance artist
1995 – 1996 Instructor in Costume Jewelry, School of Art and Industry (SUPŠ)  in Jablonec nad Nisou, Czech Republic
1996 – 2017 Head of Glass Studio, Department (Faculty) of Art and Design, J. E. Purkyně University (UJEP) in Ústí nad Labem
2004 Received Associate Professor status at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague
2010 Granted the Chancellor of the University Prize for his artwork
   
   
  One-man shows
   
1977 Prague, CR, Karolina Gallery
1987  Liberec, CR, Small Gallery
1989 Seevetal, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, New Glass Ilja Bílek and Pavel Ježek
1992 Seevetal, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, New Glass
1996 Bratislava, SR, Glass Art Gallery Simone (together with I. Houserová)
1998 Prague, CR, Galerie na Jánském vršku
1999 London, GB, The Studio Glass Gallery (together with I. Houserová)
2000 Liberec, CR, North Bohemian Museum in Liberec  (together with M. Krausová)
2000 Seevetal, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, New Glass: Ilja Bílek
2001 Prague, CR, Galerie na Jánském vršku (catalogue)
2003 Berlin, DE, Czech Centre Gallery (CzechPoint) – Durchdringung
2003 Prague, CR, Beseda Community Gallery, Half Time (together with M. Krausová)
2004 London, GB, The Studio Glass Gallery (together with A. Kopecká),
2005 Prague, CR, Beseda Gallery, Half Time (together with M. Krausová)
2006 Prague, CR, Galerie Pokorná, Extended
2007 Znojmo, CR, South Moravian Museum in Znojmo, Mutual Presence (together with M. Krausová) 
2008 Jablonec nad Nisou, CR,  Museum of Glass  and Jewellery, Transfusion
  together with T. Chaloupková, J. Maturová and J. Surýnek), (catalogue)
2009 Paris, FR, Verre Tchèque, Galerie Hélene Porée (together with A. Matoušková and A. Polanská),  (catalogue)
2009 Turnov, CR, Museum of the Bohemian Paradise in Turnov, Miroslava Krausová, Ilja Bílek and Jan Surýnek
2009 Ostrava, CR, Ostrava Museum, Glass, Painting and Graphic Art (together with L. Sokolová and L. Bakičová)
2010 Jablonec nad Nisou, CR, St. Anne’s Church, En Route (together with L. Sokolová)
2010 Prague, CR, New Town Hall, Construction-Destruction (together with L. Bakičová)
2010 Seevetal, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, Latest Works: Ilja Bílek
2011 Prague, CR, Prague Festival of Glass 2011 – The Slovak Institute in Prague, Glass, Concrete, Iron
  (together with L.  Bakičová and I. Illovský)
2011 Bratislava, SR, Nova Gallery, Deformation Zones (together with L. Bakičová)
2012 Schiedam – Rotterdam, NL, Gallery Walis Bohemian Glass  (together with L. Bakičová)
2013 Litoměřice, CR, North Bohemian Gallery of Fine Arts, Skloňování  (together with L. Bakičová)
2014 Prague, CR, Galerie Pokorná, Plan B  (together with L. Bakičová )
2014 Pardubice, CR, Eastbohemian Museum in Pardubice,  2 x Glass  (together with L. Bakičová) 
 2015 Vienna, A , Bellart galleri, Hofburg, Art and Antique  (together with L. Bakičová)
 2016 Ostrava, CR, Industrial gallery, Glass in Us  (together with L. Bakičová)
 2017 Vienna, A, Bellart galleri (together with L. Bakičová)
 2017 Prague, CR, New Town Hall, No Shine (together with L. Bakičova )
 2017 Liberec, CR, North Bohemian Museum in Liberec, No Shine – 2 (together with L. Bakičova )
 2019 Hof, DE, KUNSTpassageHOF, I. Bilek: Glasskulpturen
 2020 Brno, CR, Špilberk, Brno City Museum, I. Bílek: The Resonance of Shape
 2022 Nový Bor, CR, Glass Museum, Ilja Bílek: Glass Sculptures
 2023 Prague, CR, Kuzebauch Gallery, Ilja Bílek: Harmony & Inversion
   
   
  Participation in collective exhibitions
   
1999 London, GB, The Studio Glass Gallery, Czech & British, Contemporary Glass Sculpture,  (catalogue)
1999 New York, USA, SOFA  2000
1999 – 2000 Beijing, CHN, Exhibition of Czech Glass
2001 New York, USA, SOFA – 2001
2001 Boca Raton, USA, Habatat Galleries – Florida, Contemporary    Glass 2001 (catalogue)
2001 Prague, CR, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, IGS 1982 – 2000 (catalogue)
2001 Prague, CR, National Technical Museum in Prague, Stanislav Libenský and His School (catalogue)
2001 Chicago, USA, SOFA – 2001
2001 Salzburg, A, Galerie Prager Kabinett Salzburg, Stanislav Libenský und seine Schule (catalogue)
2002 New York, USA, SOFA – 2002
2002 Taipei, TWN, Fain Arts Museum Gallery 1A, Stanislav Libenský and His School (catalogue)
2002 Seevetal bei Hamburg, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, Ilja Bílek und seine Atelier
2003 Immenhausen, DE, Glasmuseum Immenhausen, Ilja Bílek und seine Atelier
2003 New York City, USA, Museum of Arts and Design (Craft Museum), Libenský and His School
2003 Seevetal bei Hamburg, DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, 15 Jahre Glasgalerie Hittfeld
2004 Langenfeld, DE, Glaskunst Stadtmuseum, Zeitgenössiche Tschechische Glaskunst
2004 Neumünster, DE, Zeitgenössiche Tschechische Glaskunst
2004 Lübeck, DE, Zeitgenössiche Tschechische Glaskunst in Historichen Räumen
2004   Hamburg, DE, Zeitgenössiche Tschechische Glaskunst in Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg
2004 Jablonec nad Nisou, CR, Galerie N, Encounters
2005 München, DE, 57. Internationalen Handwerksmesse München – Meister der Moderne 2005
2006 Coburg, DE,  Glassprize 2006, Glaskunst Museum (catalogue)
2006 Chicago, USA, SOFA – 2006
2006 Beijing, CHN, Czech Republic – European Crossroads
2007 Berlin,DE, Glasgalerie Hittfeld, Contemporary Czech Glass, Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin
2008 Hamburg, DE, Galerie Hittfeld, 20 Yahre Glasgalerie Hittfeld
2008  Karlovy Vary, CR, Galerie Minea, 8th Art Glass Festival
2009 Prague, CR, Mánes  Gallery, Connections 2009 – Contemporary European Glass Sculpture (catalogue)
2010 Prague, CR, Prague Festival – Galerie Pokorná, Vyšehrad-Gorlice (catalogue)
2011 Litoměřice, CR, The North Bohemian Gallery of  Fine  Art in Litoměřice-The Former Jesuit Church, Matter, Colour, Light
2011 Strasbourg, FR, Conseil Général du Bas-RhinPlace du Quartier Blanc
2012 Prague, CR, Gallery G, Malostranská beseda, Where is glass – II, Prague festival 12
2012  Prague, CR, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, All the best! Czech glass art
2012  Coesfeld, DE, Coesfeld-Lette, Ilja Bilek – Rony Plesl – Petr Stanicky
2013  Jablonec nad Nisou, CR, Galerie N, Nordic Combination
2013 Hittfeld, CR, Glasgalerie Stolting, 25 Jahren der Glasgalerie Hittfeld
2013 Ostrava, CR, Industrial Gallery, Crocks of Modernity  
2014 Ústí nad Labem, CR, Museum of Ústí nad Labem, Glass is not just a Word
2014 Hamburg, DE, Affordable Art Fair 2014
2015 Vitromusee Romont, CH, Vitrofestival 2015
2015 Hofburg, A, Art and Antique
2015 Nový Bor, CR, Glass Museum, Glass above Labe
2016 Plzeň, CR, Galerie Ladislava Sutnara, Unlimited
2016 Prague, CR, Czech Centre, AHOY! GLASS ART
2016 Jablonec, CR, Galerie N, AHOY! GLASS AND DESIGN
2020 Prague, CR, The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, Pleiad of Glass 1946-2019
   
   Represented in the following collections
   
 

Prague (Czech Republic), The Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague

Liberec (Czech Republic), North Bohemian Museum in Liberec

Poznań (Poland), National Museum in Poznań 

Belfast (Ireland), Ulster Museum

Hamburg (Germany), Museum of Art and Industry 

Jablonec nad Nisou (Czech Republic), Museum of Glass and Jewellery 

Brno (Czech Republic), Moravian Gallery in Brno

Nový Bor, Czech Republic, Crystalex – Glass Symposia Collection (chateau Lemberk)

Prague, Czech Republic, Czech Savings Bank, Czech Glass Collection  

Coesfeld, Germany, Ernsting Stiftung Glasmuseum, Coesfeld  

Corning, USA, The Corning Museum of Glass  

London, Great Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum

Ebeltoft ( DK), Glasmusset Ebeltoft

Železný Brod ( Czech Republic), City Museum Železný Brod

Pardubice (Czech Republic), East Bohemian Museum in Pardubice