The Brokis lighting brand was founded in the Czech Republic in 2006 by entrepreneur and engineer Jan Rabell who was convinced that contemporary design could play an important role in preserving the Bohemian blown glass tradition. Brokis lamps, designed by Czech and international designers and artists - including Lucie Koldova, Dan Yeffet, Boris Klimek and the Alfredo Chiaramonte and Marco Marin duo - combine glass blown by master glassmakers with other quality materials, like wood and hand-forged metal. This approach has earned the company international recognition and won it numerous awards both at home and abroad. Today, Brokis has one hundred employees and benefits from a sales network covering seventy countries worldwide.
Brokis lamps: Bohemian tradition and contemporary technology
The link between Jan Rabell and the world of lighting began in 1997 with the acquisition of Janštejn Glassworks, a historical glass manufacturer founded in 1809 in the Vysocina region not far from Prague. His aim was to contribute to preserving the glassblowing tradition in Bohemia and Silesia, two regions whose borders later dissolved into what is now the Czech Republic. Historically, Bohemian crystal - the transparent, colourless glass that Bohemian glassblowers obtained as early as the 16th century with greater stability and quality than Italian glass - was considered a precious material on a par with gold. After modernising the factory to return it to its former glory and reviving traditional glass-making techniques, Rabell founded Brokis. He built new Italian furnaces, introduced new production procedures, abandoned some processes like grinding and painting the glass, and renewed others like blowing, creating optical glass and producing painted glass, which is now one of the brand's characteristics. These ancient techniques were then applied to contemporary design lamps that combine mid-century allure with the boldness of new techniques. Complex technology was used to produce the Night Birds collection designed by Boris Klimek, inspired by the freedom of birds in flight. It required two years to refine the fusion of the glass in the mould and its subsequent curvature through which the delicate nuances of the wings were obtained. The brand's constant technological research seeks to render its production increasingly sustainable. In this sense, collaboration between Brokis and Janštejn Glassworks resulted in Brokisglass, a new decorative material available in fifteen colours made from the glass fragments resulting from the production waste of the two brands. Brokisglass was used to create the Geometric hanging lamps by Lenka Damova and Boris Klimek, whose round, oval or square geometric shape contrasts with the animated, almost sculptural composition of the glass. It was also used for the OVO and STRING collections of table accessories and decorations for the hospitality and domestic sectors.
Brokis: iconic lamps and new forms of light
Among the newest Brokis releases are the Bonbori and Awa collections designed by Fumie Shibat and the Sfera pendant lamps by Lucie Koldova, the brand's art director since 2014. The Bonbori table lamp radiates soft light evoking traditional Japanese paper lanterns, while the Awa pendant lamp recalls a floating sphere of air. Sfera is a ceiling fixture composed of an opaline glass globe with a clean cut on the top. The most representative Brokis product remains the Muffins table lamp designed by Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet. It is characterised by a sizeable mouth-blown glass shade with soft curves, a solid wood base and a filament bulb, creating a striking effect. Lucie Koldova and Dan Yeffet are also responsible for another famous Brokis lamp, Balloons, an intriguing family of table lamps. Their large volumes result from the blown glass and the elegant metal reflector hovering within. Technically, the effect is achieved by two independent glass sections that give the impression of being one. Among the Brokis bestsellers is Memory, a collection of wall and ceiling lamps designed by Boris Klimek. With its inflated balloon shapes and rope switch mechanism, Memory awakens the imagination and revives childhood recollections.
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