TANJA PAK is a visual artist and designer working in the fields of sculpture, spatial installation and design in glass. She holds a Master's degree in Art from the Royal College of Art, London, and a BA degree in Industrial Design from the Academy of Fine Art, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. She is currently a Full Professor at the University of Ljubljana, where she leads the Department of Glass and Ceramics.
Her practice bridges design and contemporary art, with a focus on material investigation and spatial expression. She has exhibited internationally, and her works are held in public and private collections as well as integrated into architectural and urban environments. Pak has been awarded artist residencies at institutions including The Corning Museum of Glass (USA), Creative Glass Centre of America (USA), Pilchuck Glass School (USA), and the Musée du Verre (France), among others.
She has received significant international recognition, including the Grand Prize at the triennial 2024 Toyama International Glass Exhibition (Japan), two Red Dot Honourable Mention Design Awards (Germany), Slovenia's Designer of the Year award, and a Special Prize from the Arte Laguna Prize (Italy). Her work has been selected four times for the New Glass Review(Corning Museum of Glass, USA). She has been a finalist in the Kanazawa International Exhibition (Japan) twice, European Glass Context (Denmark) three times, Arte Laguna Prize (Italy) four times, and in other major juried international exhibitions.
Pak's current research focuses on themes of absence, impermanence, and the fragile nature of human existence. Through a multimedia approach, she explores the physical and emotional boundaries of space, embodiment, and vulnerability. Glass functions as her central medium, selected for its conceptual resonance and technical range. Her work engages with the poetics of materiality, positioning glass as a critical tool for articulating contemporary existential concerns.
Curriculum Vitae
Education
______________________________
Royal College of Art, London
Master of Arts, MA (Ceramics and Glass)
July, 1996
Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana
BA in Industrial Design
September, 1994
Full professorship (2014)
International workshops and residencies
______________________________
2025 Honour guest at the International Glass symposium in Museum Novo Mesto
2024 Iceland University of the Arts, Reykjavik / Erasmus, IS
2023 Royal College of Art, London / Erasmus, GB
2023 New York residency 1 month
2019 Maradiva / Arte Laguna Special Prize 2019, cultural exchange residency, Mauritius
2019 Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE
2018 Art residency in MusVerre, Sars-Poteries, FR
2018 Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE
2017 Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE
2015 International Glass Symposium, active participation, Novy Bor, CZ
2015 Arctic Glass Studio, Norway, Professional residency, NO
2014 University of Washington, Professor exchange program, WA
2014 Creative Glass Centre of America, Fellowship, NJ, USA
2014 The Corning Museum of Glass Studio, Artist in residence, USA
2014 Workshop with Angela Twaites / NCAD, Dublin, Ireland
2013 Artist in residence / Research and Educational Studio / Bullseye Glass Company, USA
2012 Professional residency with Steve Klein / New Mexico, USA
2012 Masterclass with James Carpenter / Bornholm, Denmark
2011 Professional residency / Northlands Glass, Scotland
2009 Artist in residence / Pilchuck Glass School, USA
2001 Fellowship / Creative Glass Centre of America
1999 Summer course / Pilchuck Glass School, USA
1998 Workshop with Judy Hill, Jacksonville University, USA
Selected professional positions
______________________________
From 2002 to present, Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Ljubljana
Full professor since 2014
Head of Applied Arts / Glass and ceramics from 2008 to present
Associate professor from 2008 to 2014, Assistant professor from 2002 to 2008
From 1997 to present, Designer and artist
Leading the design company Glesia d.o.o.
Running my own studio, collaborating with various teams of professionals to execute product designs and/or large-scale installation art projects
Working on commission projects
Awards, Residencies and Fellowships
______________________________
Full professorship, 2014
Grand Prix of the triennial Toyama International Glass Exhibition, JP, 2024
Red Dot Honourable Mention Design Award 2009
Red Dot Honourable Mention Design Award 2008
Designer of the Year 2011, Sl
New Glass Review 37, 2016
New Glass Review 35, 2014
New Glass Review 33, 2012
New Glass Review 29, 2008
Erasmus, Iceland Academy of the Arts, Reykjavik, IS, 2024
Erasmus, Royal College of Art, London, GB, 2023
One-month artist residency in New York (Ministry of Culture, Slovenia), USA, 2023
Receiver of the atelier in Švicarija Creative Centre in Ljubljana for five years, SI, 2022
Arte Laguna Prize 2021 finalist, IT, 2021
Maradiva / Arte Laguna Special Prize 2019, Mauritius, 2019 (award and residency)
Arte Laguna Prize 2020 finalist
Art residency in MusVerre, Sars-Poteries, FR, 2018
Receiver of the atelier in Švicarija Creative Centre in Ljubljana for five years, SI, 2017
Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE, 2019
Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE, 2018
Cill Rialaigh residency, Transartist project, IE, 2017
International Glass Kanazawa finalist, JP, 2016
International Glass Symposium, active participation, Novy Bor, CZ, Oct. 2015
Arctic Glass Studio, Norway, Professional residency, NO, Feb. 2015
University of Washington, Professor exchange program, WA, USA, 2014
Creative Glass Centre of America, Fellowship, NJ, USA, fall 2014
Corning Museum of Glass Studio, Artist in residence, NY, USA, 2014
Bullseye R&E Centre, Artist Exchange Program, residency, Portland, OR, USA, 2013
New Mexico, Professional residency (invited), NM, USA, 2012
Masterclass with James Carpenter, Bornholm, DK, 2012
Northlands Glass Centre, Professional residency (invited), Scotland, 2011
Pilchuck residency, Emerging Artist in Residence, WA, USA, 2009
One-month artist residency in New York (Ministry of Culture, Slovenia), Dec. 2008
Creative Glass Centre of America, Fellowship, NJ, USA, 2001
Workshop with Judy Hill, Jacksonville, FL, USA, 1999
Pilchuck Scholarship, WA, USA, 1999
Chevening scholarship, GB, 1995
Valvasor – Chevening scholarship, GB and SI, 1994
Solo Exhibitions / selected
______________________________
Surfaces of Transparencies, Fine Art Visconti Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2025
The Memory of the Imprint / There and not Entirely There, Glass atrium City Hall, Ljubljana, SI, 2024
Tanja Pak, Design Center, presentation, Filipov dvorec, Ljubljana, SI, 2023
Rêveries / There, Križevniška church, Ljubljana Festival, Ljubljana, SI, 2022
Passages, Small Kos Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2021
Mid-Breath, Velenje Art Gallery, SI, 2021
Tanja Pak, artist in residence / Maradiva Resort & Spa, Mauritius, 2019
Breath in Between, TR3 Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2018
The Tales of a Breath, Glass Atrium at Ljubljana City Hall, Ljubljana, SI, 2018
Paths, Atelje galerija, Ljubljana, SI, 2017
Tanja Pak, Brands&Signs, Month of Design, Ljubljana, SI, 2017
InBetweennes, Kresija Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2015–2016
A Walk in a Desert, Atelje Galerija, Ljubljana, SI, 2013
Within / I held my breath, but the world kept on dreaming, multimedia installation,
Ljubljana’ Castle, SI, 2011–2012
Pointé, glass installation, Ljubljana Castle, SI, 2011–2012
Dreaming Away, multimedia installation, Ljubljana Castle, SI, 2010–2011
The Moment After-Alina, multimedia installation, Ljubljana Castle, SI, 2010–2011
Flow, Red Dot 2009, Glesia Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2009
Tanja Pak, Sculptures, Council of Europe, Strasbourg, FR, 2009
Lara, Red Dot 2008, Glesia Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2008
Undulations. Again. Glesia Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2006
Traces, St. Vit, Dravograd, KGLU Slovenj Gradec, SI, 2004
Red and Black, Marjan Lovšin Gallery, Ljubljana, SI, 2003
Searchings, Miklova Hiša Gallery, Ribnica, SI, 1999
Whisperings, Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana, SI, 1998
Group Exhibitions / selected
______________________________
Venice Glass Week 2025, Hub / Palazzo Loredan, Benetke, IT, 2025
Experience of Glass / Dolenjski muzej, Novo mesto, SI, 2025
Venice Glass Week Hub 2024, Palazzo Loredan, Venice, IT, 2024 (due September 2024)
Toyama International Glass Exhibition, Toyama, JP, 2024
Connections / Glass Art Society members' exhibition, Berlin, D, 2024
The Ice Furnace, Venice Glass Week, Castello Gallery, Venice, IT, 2023
Dry River Bed / collaborative performance project with Michael Rogers and Inguna Audere, SI, 2023
Interconnective/collaborative performance project with Michael Rogers and Inguna Audere, Švicarija, SI, 2023, Venice Glass Week Hub 2022, Palazzo Loredan, Venice, IT, 2022
Collect 2022, London, GB, 2022
European Glass Context 2021, Denmark, 2021
Venice Glass Week Hub 2021, Palazzo Loredan, Venice, IT, 2021
Arte Laguna Prize 2020 and 2021, Arsenale, Venice, IT, 2021
Made in Slovenia (with Museum of Architecture and Design, Slovenia), Paris Design Week, Paris, 2021
Tunnel 29, Milan Design Fair 2020 (with Museum of Architecture and Design, Slovenia), Milan, IT, 2021
Made in (with Museum of Architecture and Design, Slovenia), Vienna, A, 2021
Collect 2021, London (With Joanna Bird gallery), London, 2021
Tunnel 29, MAD, Ljubljana, SI, 2020
Collect 2020, London, GB, 2020
Beauty and the Beast, Legnice in Lodz, PL, 2020
Beauty and the Beast, Wroclaw, PL, 2019
