Yulia Dubenko

Yulia Dubenko is fascinated by glass and its unique properties. She constantly pushes the boundaries between its fragility and its strength. 

Yulia holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Zhetysu Economic Institute, Kazakhstan, and spent the first years of her career working as finance and accounting professional. Her life changed after moving to Moscow in 2012 when she encountered lampworked Glass Art and immersed herself fully in its practice. 

In 2014, she travelled to Venice to study blown bead techniques with the renowned Murano master, Davide Penso. Against all odds, she decided to devote her life to her passion and continued to study under the greatest masters of Murano. In 2018 Yulia took a masterclass with Igor Balbi on traditional Venetian goblets, which deepened her understanding of form, balance, and discipline — skills that now inform her abstract, sculptural approach.

Her body of work spans jewellery, vases, panels, and interior objects demonstrating her versatility of techniques and form. This breadth allows her to explore the nature of glass and the tension between fragility and structure.

Yulia’s pieces have been exhibited across Russia and Europe, including shows in Moscow, France, and Germany. In 2024, her vase New Source, made from recycled bottle glass, won the “Author’s Items” category award at the IV Biennial Invented and Made in Russia.

She continues to work from her Moscow studio, exploring new techniques — including fused and sculptural processes — and integrating sustainable practices into her work. 

Her most meaningful moments remain rooted in the act of glassmaking itself.

Yulia joined ÄKTA as a resident artist in 2025.

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