Richard Royal

Richard Royal is recognized internationally as one of the most skilled and talented glassblowers in the studio glass movement.  Having spent his early years as a ceramicist, he began working as a glass sculptor in 1978 at the Pilchuck Glass School.  The birth of this new and exciting artistic movement appealed to the young artist, and Royal worked his way through the ranks to become one of Dale Chihuly’s main gaffers.  His work with Chihuly lasted for many years and in the 1980’s led to Richard Royal’s emergence as an independent force in the art market.

The Geometric Series is Royal’s latest exploration delving into the theory that all things have a geometric significance or a mathematical sequence.  If you break objects down, eventually you will find a geometric structure in the essence, and often this sequence builds upon itself.  Royal’s vision is to create organic sculpture using rigid components to portray this concept of growth and clarity in form.  When he first began this series, it was very direct in the replication of color and form and as it has evolved the sculpture became more dynamic with compositions and surface treatments of the elements.

Royal’s work is found in such noteworthy museum collections as The Mint Museum of Art + Design, The High Museum, The New Orleans Museum of Art, The Tampa Museum of Art, and the Daiichi Museum (Japan).  Royal was one of the first Artists-in-Residences at the Waterford Crystal Factory 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.