Wright Auction

Richard Marquis is a world-renowned American studio glass artist and a pioneer of American contemporary glass art. He was born in the small town of Bumble Bee, Arizona and began his lifelong absorption with collecting found and scavenged objects in categories (cigar bands, bottle caps) as a child. He also engaged in building hobby models.

Marquis attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied ceramics and glass. In 1969, he was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship to study at the Venini Factory in Murano, Italy. There, he learned the traditional Venetian techniques of caning and murrine, which involve creating colored glass rods or chips that are fused together to create intricate patterns. After returning to the United States, Marquis began to incorporate these techniques into his own work. His early pieces were often small, colorful sculptures that explored the possibilities of murrine. In the 1980s, he began to experiment with larger-scale works, such as his "Marquiscarpa" series, which are inspired by the work of the Italian architect Carlo Scarpa.

Marquis's work is often playful and humorous, but it also has a serious underlying aesthetic. A self-described “color junkie,” he is a master of color and form, and his work is characterized by its flawless technique and attention to detail. He is also a skilled draftsman, and his drawings often serve as the basis for his glass sculptures. Far from a traditionalist, Marquis pushes the boundaries of his art and creativity, often incorporating found objects into his creations that imbue them with narratives or comment on pop culture references.

Marquis has exhibited his glass extensively throughout the United States and Europe and has received numerous awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from both the Glass Art Society and the Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass, and the James Renwick Alliance Masters of the Medium Award. His work is included in the collections of major museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. In addition to his prolific body of work, Marquis has served as a mentor to many young glass artists. He is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of American studio glass.