On April 8, 2026,the exhibition Born of Fire, co-organised by the Embassy of the Slovak Republicin China, Achilleas Glass Art & Design, Jingshang Group, Winland Group, andCarte Blanche, opened at Winland International Finance Center in Beijing'sFinancial Street.

A chamber musicperformance opened the exhibition, featuring violinist Tang Yun — a soloist ofthe Asian Philharmonic Orchestra — and composer and independent musician LinZiqing. Together, they performed on a historic Amati violin from Cremona,Italy, setting the tone for a special spring evening.

H.E. Milan Lajčiak, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to China, artists AchilleasSdoukos and Ingrid Zamecnikova, and Yu Zhiqiang, Chairman of Winland Group,attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches.

Slovakia has a unique place inthe global glass art landscape. The exhibition presents the distinctiveinterpretations of glass and painting by two generations of artists from thesame family. The son, Achilleas, uses flame to temper glass, capturing thepassage of time through light and shadow; the mother, Ingrid, constructs apoetic narrative world through painting. The two media meet, reflect, andcomplement each other, bringing viewers joy, tranquillity, and inner light —sparking an artistic dialogue across generations and borders.

"On the occasion of this event, we are delighted tolaunch a new chapter in Slovakia's cultural exchange with China. This is thefirst time Slovakia has presented such an exhibition in China, and it is alsothe first cultural event of this scale. In the near future, the Slovak CulturalCenter will open within the embassy and engage with Beijing and other Chinesecities in more diverse ways. My sincere thanks go to Mr. Yu Zhiqiang and histeam for bringing such a beautiful presentation to this exhibition. They arestrong promoters and contributors to Sino-Slovak cultural and artisticexchanges."

— H.E. Milan Lajčiak, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to China

"Every glass piece I create is infused with my lovefor the work. As you step into the light and colour of these pieces tonight, Ihope you can feel that heartfelt intention. This is my first exhibition inChina, and it feels like a new beginning. At this moment, we are connecting notonly the interplay of glass and light, but also each other's perspectives,stories, and cultures. I believe there will be many more meaningful exchangesto come. My special thanks go to the Slovak Embassy in China, to Winland CarteBlanche for their support, and to my dear friend and partner in China, Ms.Lilian Tian. Without you, this dream could not have come true."

—AchilleasSdoukos

Growing up in an artistic family, for Achilleas, glasscarries the past, present, and future — a medium that continually sparksinspiration. Greek mythology, natural landscapes, music, and technology areinexhaustible sources of creative energy. His work engages in dialogue betweenlight and matter, stillness and fluidity, reality and dreams. Each piece iscreated using fused glass techniques, combining colour with precious metalssuch as gold, platinum, bronze, and copper. The richly layered works presentshifting visual effects that change with the light and the viewer'sperspective.

Ingrid's practice builds a poetic and imaginative world,drawing inspiration from memory, literature, and mythology, expressing apursuit of freedom and inner spirit. Her work is characterised by layered,delicate painting and printmaking, using restrained yet expressive lines, softtones, and subtle light and shadow to create a quiet, contemplative atmosphere.Her practice spans painting, printmaking, tapestry, and illustration.