PEOPLE
JAN RABELL
“Nothing’s impossible; never say it can’t be done.”
Entrepreneur Jan Rabell is one of the most dynamic
figures in the Czech Republic’s glassmaking industry.
Born in Prague in 1965 to a Puerto Rican father and
Czech mother, he grew up in his father’s homeland,
returning to Prague to pursue a master’s degree in
economics. He went on to hold various managing
director posts in the field of finance and banking.
In 1997, he purchased the ailing Janštejn Glassworks
and set about restoring its prestige and competitiveness
primarily by introducing unconventional glassblowing
techniques and production technologies.
In 2006, he founded the premium handblown glass
lighting brand BROKIS, quickly developing it into
one of the most important players in the market and
exporting its products to countries around the world.
Jan Rabell’s charisma, energy, and innovative vision
continue to propel BROKIS and the Janštejn Glassworks
steadily forward. The entire Rabell family are involved
in the business, with wife, Petra, and son André playing
especially important roles.
LUCIE KOLDOVA
BROKIS art director Lucie Koldova is an acclaimed
Czech product and furniture designer. Her collaboration
with BROKIS began in 2010 with the timeless Muffins
and Balloons lighting collections, which she designed
while living and working in Paris. The voluminous
glass lights embody her charismatic, elegant style and
quickly established BROKIS as an innovative producer
of handblown glass lighting. She is the creative force
behind the brand and is instrumental in shaping its
product portfolio and image.
Her creations, objects of desire, include glass
sculptures, glass lighting, poetic gallery pieces, and
limited-series works. Breathtaking colours, unusual
proportions, and vibrant formal contrasts seemingly
move her work beyond the realm of the possible,
a trademark at once apparent in lighting collections
such as Balloons, Capsula, Whistle, and Mona.
In addition to developing ever-more novel and exciting
motifs, Lucie Koldova has introduced important
technological and formal solutions that have enabled
BROKIS to push the limits of handblown glass
production.
