Dale Chihuly's Beautiful Glass Sculptures

By Sarah Stewart Last edited 121 months ago
Dale Chihuly's Beautiful Glass Sculptures
Dale Chihuly, Amber Jade Herons, 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Amber Jade Herons, 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Cerulean Cobalt Chandelier (detail), 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Cerulean Cobalt Chandelier (detail), 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Cranberry Spire Chandelier (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Cranberry Spire Chandelier (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Installation: Imperial Yellow Persian Wall (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Installation: Imperial Yellow Persian Wall (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Lumiere Blue Chandelier (detail), 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Lumiere Blue Chandelier (detail), 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Persian Ceiling, 1999 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Persian Ceiling, 1999 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Sapphire Neon Tumbleweeds, 2013
Glass and Neon (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Sapphire Neon Tumbleweeds, 2013 Glass and Neon (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Installation: Sapphire Neon Tumbleweeds (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Installation: Sapphire Neon Tumbleweeds (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Striped Periwinkle Fiori, 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)
Dale Chihuly, Striped Periwinkle Fiori, 2013 (Photo: Halcyon Gallery)

American artist Dale Chihuly's fabulous glass sculptures have graced London on several occasions, with a display at Kew Gardens in 2005 and  the almost literally flamboyant Torchlight Chandelier sculpture near Hyde Park Corner to celebrate the 2012 London Olympics. Perhaps most famous of all is the 30 ft. Chandelier which hangs in the foyer of the V&A. Now, the Halcyon Gallery on New Bond Street hosts an installation of Chihuly's paintings and glassworks, which resemble sea creatures, plants, fungi and even whorled galaxies.

Chihuly's works are unique not only for their large scale, with the inherent technical challenges of producing blown glass, but also for their playful use of space and architectural form. The pieces undulate and twist, and even seemingly individual forms, on closer inspection, are made up of smaller elements. A chandelier alone could contain almost 1,400 individually made components, which seem to grow together to form an organic whole.

Chihuly's colourful installation, Persian Pergola Ceiling, has been created in response to the historic architecture of the New Bond Street gallery space. Other pieces, such as Baskets, Macchia and Fiori are delightful and beautiful, with vivid colours and brilliant patterns. His use of bright, bold colour and form is also apparent in his many drawings and paintings, displayed alongside his sculptures throughout the gallery. Chihuly's neon work is also displayed here for the first time in the UK, and is an electric fusion of colour, light and glass.

This is one glass ceiling you will not want to surpass.

Dale Chihuly: Beyond the Object continues at Halcyon Gallery, 144-146 New Bond Street, until 5 April. Admission free.

Last Updated 17 February 2014