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Justyna Poplawska is a Polish-born, Copenhagen-based designer whose work explores the poetic and tactile potential of materials – particularly those based on recycled glass – at the intersection of painting, sculpture, and functional design. Central to her practice is a deep fascination with surfaces and the transformation of raw, often discarded, matter into richly textured design objects.

Working primarily with a self-developed composite material composed of recycled glass, bioresin, and pigments, Poplawska creates pieces with subtle, expressive surfaces. The coloured glass is collected as waste from local glassmakers and processed through a laborious grinding technique to produce a range of particle sizes. The resulting surface reveals a delicate interplay of glass particles and colour, creating a subtle, textured composition. Each object is shaped through careful, hands-on techniques such as casting, sanding, and polishing.

Poplawska’s background in both fine art and design shapes her interdisciplinary approach. She first studied glass and traditional art practices at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław, Poland, and later earned her design degree from the Royal Danish Academy – Architecture, Design, Conservation in Copenhagen. This dual education informs her sensitivity to form, colour, and craft.

Through her work, Poplawska investigates how materiality, colour, and process can evoke emotion and enrich spatial experiences. Drawing on both historical techniques and contemporary methods, she creates design objects that embody quiet complexity and refined material expression.