Learn more about the contemporary master with these illuminating facts about Dale Chihuly.
Here are 5 illuminating facts about the iconic glass artist Dale Chihuly.
His passion for glass began with a weaving project.
While the Tacoma-native describes his childhood as perfectly normal, tragedy made his teenage years particularly tumultuous.
Chihuly coped with such loss by breaking a police car window and withdrawing from formal education.
By age 20, however, he was back in school.
Europe’s stained glass windows inspired him to accidentally start glassblowing.
I don’t know why I did it, hereflected.
I’d never seen it done before.
I didn’t know anybody who knew how to blow glass.
He lost his eyesight to shards of glassbut the accident had nothing to do with his art.
for perfect the practice, he paired formal education with field research.
In 1976, the 35-year-old artist was involved in a serious car crash in England.
During the head-on collision, he was launched through the windshield.
In addition to severe cuts on his face, shards of glass left himblind in his left eye.
He relies on a team to bring his visions to life.
In 1979, this worry was solidified when Chihuly hurt his shoulder in a bodysurfing accident.
When paired with his seeing difficulties, this injury would make glassmaking nearly impossible.
In many ways it was a transformative period for me.
He’s received 12 doctoral degrees and won numerous awards.
With such an awe-inspiring portfolio, it is no surprise that Chihuly is one ofcontemporary arts exceptionally decorated figures.
I dont think much about the past, he says.
I think more about the future.
I prefer to be thinking about what I want to be doing tomorrow.
