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The world’s most celebrated contemporary glass artist will bring his work to the stunning backdrop of Kew Gardens, in a major exhibition of his work

Sapphire Star

• Body of work curated for Chihuly at Kew demonstrates the evolution of the artist’s career over fifty years
• Installations will respond to Kew’s architectural and horticultural glory, with 32 artworks in 13 locations including glasshouses, vistas, and galleries
• Visitors will see a specially designed sculpture suspended from the ceiling of the newly restored Temperate House
• Majority of the artworks have never been seen in the UK

The Artist

Seattle based, iconic artist Dale Chihuly will be exhibiting his luminous, utterly unique glass artworks across one of London’s most spectacular landscapes, in a perfect marriage of art, science, and nature. Famous worldwide for his dazzling glass sculptures, Chihuly’s work has been exhibited in more than 240 museums around the world, over his 50-year career. As well as glass, Chihuly uses paint, charcoal, graphite, neon, ice, and Polyvitro to explore possibilities and realise his vision.

The Setting

At Kew, Chihuly’s artworks will truly sing – unrestrained bursts of colour commanding a space of luscious greenery, showing visitors one of London’s few UNESCO world heritage sites in an entirely different way; its rolling vistas and ornate glasshouses transformed into a contemporary outdoor gallery space like no other.

A reverie of form, colour, and light, Chihuly’s exquisite artworks are often described as exaggerated celebrations of what is found in nature. As the most biodiverse postcode on the planet, Kew’s breath-taking landscape is the ideal home for such work. Visitors will explore the Gardens and make discoveries in their own time, experiencing surprise and wonder at what they find – graceful, luminous colour juxtaposed with the solid earthiness of nature.

The Exhibition

32 art installations will be situated across the Gardens in a wide variety of locations.

As visitors enter through Victoria Gate, they will see Sapphire Star, the individual blown glass forms of which will radiate outward to create a celestial visual experience. The vibrant blue colour of Sapphire Star is highly concentrated at the centre, where the individual glass elements meet and become increasingly opaque. The installation’s translucent, achromatic tips reflect light and add to its intense radiance.

Kew’s Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art (the world’s only gallery dedicated to botanical art), will host 12 bodies of work, as well as a film detailing Chihuly’s creative process. Visitors to the gallery will experience the expressive lines and abstract forms of Chihuly’s Drawings, as well as the Rotolo series – the most technically challenging work Chihuly and his team have ever created, and Seaforms, delicate undulating forms that conjure underwater life, among others.

Other stunning locations for the artworks include the ornate Waterlily House and the resplendent Palm House lake.

The iconic Temperate House – the world’s largest surviving Victorian glasshouse which has recently undergone a major restoration project – will be home to a brand new sculpture, specially designed for the cathedral like space, as well as nine other installations.

Artist Dale Chihuly says:

“I am honoured to bring my work once again to Kew, with its magnificent landscape and extraordinary glasshouses–structures which have always captivated me. How do you describe a beautiful building like the Palm House or the Temperate House? We are planning something special for the centre of the newly-restored Temperate House and I’m excited to see it come to fruition.”

Director of Marketing and Commercial Enterprise at RBG Kew, Sandra Botterell, says:

“Thirteen years ago, Kew Gardens was home to Dale Chihuly’s last major outdoor show in Europe. It was one of the most popular exhibitions ever held at Kew, and the return of the work of this master of glass is causing palpable excitement.

Bold and beautiful, surreal and seductive, these large-scale art works will stimulate the imaginations of all who view them. Prepare to see Kew – and nature – in a wholly different way.”

Chihuly Nights

Kew will offer Chihuly enthusiasts a truly special opportunity to see the artwork in an entirely different light, through an exclusive night-time experience.

Throughout the Gardens, visitors can take in some of Kew’s most stunning settings, amongst which the illuminated sculptures will be framed by the sun as it makes its descent. Fabulous food, drink, and music will make this a truly unforgettable evening.

(15 August – 26 October, Thursdays – Saturdays). Tickets on sale from April at www.kew.org.

And for the Family…

A fun and interactive specially illustrated trail, designed for families, will take visitors around the Chihuly artworks. In addition, Kew will be running an inspiring family programme during the Easter, May half term, and summer holidays, that will reflect on the science behind the beauty of Kew’s amazing plant collection.