Lukeke Design – Bee Wings In Glass Sculpture

Lukeke Design, founded by New Zealand glass artist Luke Jacomb and American artist Katherine Rutecki, is internationally recognised for its handcrafted cast and blown glass works that celebrate the beauty of the natural world. Established in Auckland in 2006, Lukeke Design has become synonymous with luminous glass birds, butterflies and bees that transform walls into joyful sculptural installations.

Drawing inspiration from Aotearoa’s native birdlife and forests, the studio combines traditional Venetian glassblowing techniques with contemporary New Zealand design. Each work is meticulously handcrafted by Luke and his team of skilled artists and craftspeople across their Auckland studios, using both blown and lost wax cast glass processes. Some pieces take more than 145 hours to complete, with every detail hand-tooled and finished, ensuring no two works are ever exactly alike.

Lukeke Design’s celebrated bird series captures the movement and energy of native species, creating shifting reflections, silhouettes and colour in changing light. Whether displayed individually or as a flock, the works bring a sense of play, movement and connection to the landscape.

Works by Lukeke Design are held in significant private and public collections internationally, including the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Ebeltoft Glass Museum in Denmark and the New Orleans Museum of Art. Today, the studio continues to create distinctive contemporary glass art from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, bringing handcrafted New Zealand glasswork to collectors and homes around the world.