Dale Chihuly Nuutajarvi/Fish House 60" x 40" Painting

Artist: Dale Chihuly
Title: Nuutajarvi/Fish House
Medium: Original acrylic and watercolor on paper painting
Size: 60” x 40”
Year: c. 1990-2000
Inscription: Signed "Chihuly" and titled “Nuutajarvi” ; “Fish House” on front
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

Dale Chihuly’s monumental acrylic and watercolor work Nuutajarvi/Fish House, measuring an impressive five feet in height by over three feet in width, stands as an essential visual document from the artist’s seminal Chihuly Over Venice project, capturing the immense physical scale and spatial ambition of his international studio practice. Executed on a grand format of 60 by 40 inches, the painting commands an architectural presence that mirrors the immersive, monumental nature of his blown glass installations. Set against a diluted sky wash and a deep ultramarine pool, the composition utilizes visceral, dripping streams of bright red, forest green, and metallic gold acrylic pigment to depict elongated sculptural forms suspended near a riverbank. Stylized gold figures articulate the collaborative human effort required to maneuver these large scale forms, while energetic paint splatters and bold calligraphic text emphasize the physical dynamism shared by both action painting and hotshop glassmaking.

Created circa 1990–2000, this original acrylic and watercolor on paper work measures 60 by 40 inches. The sheet features prominent calligraphic inscriptions on the front, titled "Nuutajarvi" across the upper margin and "Fish House" along the lower right edge, and bears the artist's signature, "Chihuly," in metallic gold at the lower left. The work is accompanied by a formal Gallery Certificate of Authenticity confirming its provenance.

About Dale Chihuly:

Born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1941, Dale Chihuly is recognized as a pivotal figure in elevating blown glass from a decorative craft to a recognized fine art medium. Chihuly’s formal academic trajectory began at the University of Washington, where he studied interior design and architecture while discovering the sculptural potential of molten glass. He subsequently enrolled at the University of Wisconsin–Madison under Harvey Littleton, who had established the first studio glass program in the United States. Chihuly earned a Master of Science in sculpture in 1967 before completing a Master of Fine Arts in ceramics at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1968.

Chihuly’s early academic work laid the foundation for the American Studio Glass Movement, effectively bridging industrial design, craft traditions, and fine art theory. In 1969, he established the glass department at RISD, serving as its head for over a decade while promoting experimental fabrication techniques. His early investigations integrated non-traditional materials, including neon, argon, and textiles, expanding the spatial and physical possibilities of glass sculpture. Through rigorous pedagogy and institutional program development, Chihuly altered how educational institutions approached craft media, establishing a precedent for contemporary glass art scholarship across North America. Today, his pioneering educational efforts remain foundational to the historical narrative of twentieth-century American sculpture.