Dale Chihuly b. 1941
American glass sculptor and entrepreneur Dale Chihuly is among the most well-regarded glass artists of the 20th and 21st Century.
Dale Chihuly’s academic career began at the University of Washington where he earned a BA in Interior Design in 1965. He then went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he studied under Harvey Littleton, founder of the first formal glass program in the United States. He graduated in 1967 with a Master of Science in Sculpture before moving on to the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Sculpture in 1968. He would later return to RISD to establish a glass program and teach for many years.
After earning his third degree, Chihuly sojourned in Venice where he worked in the factory of Paolo Venini, a key architect of the 20th century design aesthetic and one of the leading producers of mid-century Murano glass. It was in Venini’s studio on the island of Murano that Chihuly first witnessed the team approach to blowing glass, a practice that would become an integral part of his work in the years to come. Though he returned to the United States to teach, Chihuly continued to travel the world to meet and learn from like-minded artists.
In 1976, Chihuly was involved in an auto accident that resulted in the loss of his left eye, greatly limiting his sense of visual depth. Chihuly’s ability to create was further impaired by a bodysurfing accident in 1979 that left him unable to hold the glassblowing pipe. The injuries sustained in these two incidents forced Chihuly to hire others to assist. In a 2006 interview Chihuly explained, "Once I stepped back, I liked the view." This new perspective allowed Chihuly to anticipate problems sooner and work more efficiently. Additionally, working with a team of master glassblowers enabled Chihuly’s studio to produce glass art on a scale and quantity that would be inconceivable for a single artist working alone.
Though Chihuly has worked in multiple mediums including charcoal, acrylic, and graphite, it is his large and vibrantly colored glass sculptures and installations for which he is best known. These include his “Seafoam Series,” of thin, wavy translucent glass forms sporting bold bands and splashes of color, his “Ikebana Series” of naturally inspired ‘glass flowers,’ and his series of massive and stunningly intricate chandeliers.
Upcoming Lots Dale Chihuly
659
Dale Chihuly
Pilchuck Stumps, set of two
estimate: $20,000–30,000
660
Dale Chihuly
Early Peach Blow Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $12,000–15,000
670
Dale Chihuly
Dryad Green Persian Set with Goldenrod Lip Wraps
estimate: $7,000–10,000
671
Dale Chihuly
Early Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $5,000–7,000
677
Dale Chihuly
Pueblo Stripe
estimate: $10,000–15,000
678
Dale Chihuly
Untitled (Ikebana)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
680
Dale Chihuly
Early Navajo Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $8,500–12,500
688
Dale Chihuly
Early Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $7,000–9,000
691
Dale Chihuly
Early and Rare miniature Basket with self-portrait
estimate: $3,000–5,000
693
Dale Chihuly
Early Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $5,000–7,000
703
Dale Chihuly
Untitled (Ikebana)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
708
Dale Chihuly
Rare and Early Peachblow Cylinder
estimate: $7,000–9,000
710
Dale Chihuly
Early Basket
estimate: $2,500–3,500
719
Dale Chihuly
Untitled (Ikebana)
estimate: $3,000–5,000
720
Dale Chihuly
Nijima Green Basket Set with Steele Black Lip Wrap
estimate: $7,000–9,000
722
Dale Chihuly
Rare Floodline Cylinder
estimate: $5,000–7,000
723
Dale Chihuly
Early and Monumental Cylinder
estimate: $4,000–6,000
724
Dale Chihuly
Early Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $4,000–6,000
729
Dale Chihuly
Cobalt Blue Basket with Cadmium Lip Wrap
estimate: $2,000–3,000
730
Dale Chihuly
Early Basket with Shard Drawing
estimate: $2,000–3,000
731
Dale Chihuly
Early Pilchuck Basket
estimate: $2,000–3,000
732
Dale Chihuly
Early Basket
estimate: $2,000–3,000
733
Dale Chihuly
Spotted Basket
estimate: $1,500–2,500
736
Dale Chihuly
Chandelier For Kevin
estimate: $3,000–5,000
739
Dale Chihuly
Early Chalice
estimate: $2,000–3,000
740
Dale Chihuly
Early vase
estimate: $2,000–3,000
759
Dale Chihuly
Early inkwell
estimate: $1,500–2,500
760
Dale Chihuly
Early Miniature Basket
estimate: $1,500–2,500
762
Dale Chihuly
Iris Persian Set
estimate: $2,000–3,000
Auction Results Dale Chihuly
Dale Chihuly
Persian Installation, Poggianti-Schulman Wall
estimate: $40,000–60,000
result: $87,500
Dale Chihuly
Early Taupe Blanket Cylinder and Green Wrap
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $3,750
Dale Chihuly
Macchia
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $2,500
Dale Chihuly
early Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,250
Dale Chihuly
Amarna Green Macchia with Blue Lip Wrap
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $2,750
Dale Chihuly
early vase
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,000
Dale Chihuly
early Shard Cylinder
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $7,500
Dale Chihuly
Royal Violet Basket Set
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $6,875
Dale Chihuly
Imperial Iris Set
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,500
Dale Chihuly
Monumental Red Orange Basket Set with Black Lip Wraps
estimate: $12,000–18,000
result: $12,500
Dale Chihuly
Scarlet Lake Swirled Venetian with Flowers
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $16,640
Dale Chihuly
Paradise Persian
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $4,375
Dale Chihuly
large Blanket Cylinder
estimate: $7,000–9,000
result: $10,240
Dale Chihuly
Venetian
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $16,640
Dale Chihuly
Niijima Float
estimate: $8,000–12,000
result: $13,750
Dale Chihuly
Basket set
estimate: $7,000–9,000
Dale Chihuly
assembled iridescent red Seaform group
estimate: $4,000–6,000
result: $7,800
Dale Chihuly
early Basket Set
estimate: $10,000–15,000
Dale Chihuly
Untitled
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $6,175
Dale Chihuly
Untitled
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $5,440
Dale Chihuly
large Imperial Blue and Purple Seaform Set
estimate: $10,000–15,000
result: $25,000
Dale Chihuly
red Seaform set with black lip wraps
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $3,750
Dale Chihuly
Basket
estimate: $3,000–5,000
result: $3,584
Dale Chihuly
Macchia
estimate: $2,000–3,000
result: $5,000