Work hard, have integrity, be authentic.

Richard Royal, 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 for several years as one of Dale Chihuly’s main assistants, building skill, exploring the limits of the material and developing an intimacy with glass as an expressive creative medium.  Working with Dale and other creative powerhouses such as Billy Morris and Benjamin Moore allowed Richard to explore diverse approaches to making.  This background enabled Royal to shape his own unique voice and consequently led to his emergence in the art market in the early 1980’s.  Royal has since been a prolific 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.

Silica sand, lime and soda combine to create something much greater than these things alone. Melted to a fiery 2100 degrees, these elements unite to construct the viscous raw material for Richard’s creative expressions. To successfully execute a glass sculpture, thousands of things must go right amongst the tens of thousands of things that can (and often do) go wrong. It is no small feat. A series of torches keeps the thick pieces of glass hot enough to prevent thermal shock when not held in the warm flame of the reheating chamber. The pieces are often sculpted with a variety of steel tools such a sheers, tweezers and jacks. Other tools such a cork paddles are used to gently sculpt the subtle curves and fluid lines. Working in glass is a thoughtful process which requires deliberate intention with the ability to respond to the continually changing nature of the material.

Ben Bridge Jewelers, Seattle, WA
Boca Raton Museum of Art, Boca Raton, FL
City Centre, Pilchuck Glass Collection, Seattle, WA
Daiichi Museum, Nagoya, Japan
Davis Wright Tremaine, Seattle, WA
High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
IBM Collection, New York, NY
Mint Museum of Art & Crafts, Charlotte, NC
Monte Cristo Hotel, Everett, WA
Museum of Glass, Tacoma, WA
Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI
New Orleans Museum of Art, New Orleans, LA
Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA
Price/Waterhouse, Phoenix, AZ
Racine Art Museum, Racine, WI
Rigel Capital Managment, Seattle, WA
SAFECO Collection, Seattle, WA
Seattle Children’s Theatre, Seattle, WA
Seattle First National Bank, Seattle, WA
Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Seattle, WA
Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA
Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL
US Bank Centre, Seattle, WA
US Embassy, Buenes Aires, Argentina
United Parcel Service Corporate Collection, Atlanta, GA
University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA
Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA
Washington Trust Bank, Spokane, WA
Weyerhaeuser Corporate Collection, Seattle, WA
Westinghouse Corporation, Muskegon, MI

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Venice and American Studio Glass, edited by Tina Oldknow and William Warmus, Fondazione Giorgio Cini and Pentagram Stiftung, Milana, Italy, 2020
Art Ltd Magazine, review by James Yood, September 2014, “Richard Royal “Gatherings: at Ken Saunders Gallery “
Masters: Blown Glass, Major Works by Leading Artists, Lark Books, New York, NY, 2010
Team Chihuly, Portland Press, Seattle, WA, 2009
New Glass Review, 2009 issue #30, 1992 issue #13, 1991 issue #12
Pittsburg Post Gazette, Mary Thomas, May 26^th, 2009
Glass Magazine, Winter 2008-09, p.17
Glass Magazine, review by John Drury, Fall 2008, Issue 112, p.88
Dan Dailey, William Warmus, Milton Glaser and Tina Oldknow, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2007
25 Years of New Glass Review,  Tina Oldknow, The Corning Museum of Glass, 2005
Fine Interiors Magazine, “A Touch of Glass”, Thom Elkjer, Premiere Issue, 2005
The Kentucky Advocate, “Art Glass Inovator Visits Centre”, Marcy 4, 2003, E2.
Glass Magazine, “Turning Points: How Eight Artists Changed to Glass”, Mathew Kangas, Fall 2002
American Craft Magazine, review by Beverly Brant, April-May 1995, p.75
Glass Art Magazine, cover story/interview, March-April 1995, pp.4-10
Glass & Art Magazine, (Japan) Fall 1994, pp.60-61
Glass Magazine, review by Matthew Kangas, Fall 1994, issue #57, p.48
Southwest Art Magazine, February 1994, p.28
Art & Antiques Magazine, December 1993, p.91
Seattle Magazine, December 1993, p.26
Art Now, Southwest Gallery Guide, “Preview”, p.11
New Work Magazine, 1992 issue #11, 1989 issue #2, 1987 issue #12
Glass Magazine, Fall 1991, Issue#45
Out of the Fire, Bonnie Miller, Chronicle Books, San Francisco 1991
Glasswork Magazine, February 1991
Seattle Post Intelligencer, reviews by Regina Hackett, April 12, 1991, August 11, 1986
The Seattle Times, reviews by Karen Mathieson, April 4, 1991, July 27, 1991
American Craft Magazine, Dec-Jan 1991, April -May 1991, April-May 1988
Artists at Work, Susan Biskeborn, Alaska Northwest Books, 1990
Glass Art Society Journal, March 1990
New York Times, December 1990
Pacific Magazine, review by Fred Moody, August 18, 1985