Image: Geometric Series
Richard Royal
Richard, a native of the Northwest and resident of Seattle, is recognized internationally as one of the most skilled and talented glassblowers in the studio glass movement. His sensitivity and natural affinity towards the material reveal themselves within his extensive body of work. Richard’s artistic approach combines sensuality, fluidity and bold abundance to deliver gracefully attenuated pieces that speak of their own elegance and sculptural verticality.
Royal began working as a hot glass sculptor in 1978 at the Pilchuck Glass School, located north of Seattle, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. After spending a number of years as a ceramist, the challenge of the material and the birth of a new artistic movement appealed to the young artist. Royal worked his way through the ranks to find himself as one of Dale Chihuly’s main assistants. This relationship lasted for a number of years and consequently led to Royal’s emergence in the art market in the early 1980’s. Royal has since been an independent artist exhibiting work internationally in both solo and group exhibitions for the past thirty years.
Royal’s work is included in renowned public and private collections worldwide. His work is found in such noteworthy museum collections as The Mint Museum of Art + Design (Charlotte, North Carolina), The High Museum (Atlanta, Georgia), the New Orleans Museum of Art (Louisiana), The Tampa Museum of Art (Tampa, Florida), and the Daiichi Museum (Nagoya, Japan). Royal was one of the first Artists-in-Residences at the Waterford Crystal Factory (Ireland) and he continues to teach as both a guest artist and faculty member at various universities and the Pilchuck Glass School. His artwork is also included in the SAFECO Collection, PricewaterhouseCoopers, IBM, and the Westinghouse Corporation.
[Attending with support from Venter and Hull Chartered Accountants ]