Dale Chihuly 1982 Original Early Macchia exhibited at RISD with original Chihuly COA

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Forest Green Macchia
Medium: Hand Blown Glass
Dimensions: 4 1/2" x 7" x 7"
Year: 1982
Documentation: Includes gallery certificate of authenticity from Chihuly Studios

Dale Chihuly's unparalleled color application techniques are on full display in this 1982 Forest Green Macchia. Chihuly began work on his Macchia series in 1981, making this 1982 example one of the earliest Macchia pieces available. In it, you can see the origins of the creative process that Chihuly would continuously evolve into the brightly colored, mottled Macchia pieces we've come to expect from his modern-era works. This piece was exhibited at the Rhode Island School of Design in 1982 at the Alumni Biennial Exhibition III, then gifted to John Perrino.

Dale Chihuly's 1982 Forest Green Macchia is not signed by the artist, as is typical for works around this time. It does include the original certificate of authenticity from Chihuly Studios as well as documentation of the RISD exhibition.

About Dale Chihuly

One of the most famous contemporary glass artists in the world, Dale Chihuly is best known for his monumental sculptures and installations. He is the name behind the spectacular ceiling at the Bellagio’s flower garden in Las Vegas and the creator of the Rotunda Chandelier at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Glass works of Dale Chihuly are considered some of the most desired collectibles between the decorative arts devotees today.

Despite his initial indifference towards education, Chihuly has spent a lot of time in school, obtaining both scientific and artistic degree in sculpture from prestigious graduate schools. He displayed a proclivity for interior design and craft early on, but his true passion was always in the glass. He was a Fulbright Fellow in the late 1960s and an apprentice at the Venini Glass Factory in Venice. Mastering the art of Murano glasswork, he continued the experiments with glassblowing and thus became one of the people who brought the ancient art of glassblowing back into the spotlight on an international scale.

Monumental and small-scale artwork of Dale Chihuly is present in over 200 most renowned decorative art collections today, while the artist holds twelve honorary doctorates!

The most illustrious series in his work are Cylinders and Baskets he created in the 1970s; Macchia, Venetians, and Persians from the 1980s, Niijima Floats and Chandeliers created in the 1990s; and a more recent one, Fiori from the 2000s.

For over 30 years, Dale Chihuly has been acting as an artistic director of his team of craftsmen, since he was incapacitated in two accidents, which left him blind in one eye and incapable of holding the blowing tube. This change allowed him to see the possibilities of glass work on a broader scale, while still maintaining his recognizable style.