Described as a master craftsman who hails from another era, Mark
Raynes Roberts is Canada’s leading crystal and glass engraver, sculptor and
designer with an international reputation for his one-of-kind masterpieces in a
medium few have mastered.
Born in Sutton Coldfield, England in 1961, he trained as a
goldsmith and silversmith, before focusing his studies on engraving under the
tutelage of Ronald Pennell, one of Britain’s finest glass artists at the
Birmingham City University, Institute of Art & Design.
An Associate Fellow of the British Guild of Glass Engravers since
1989, Raynes Roberts creates crystal sculptures remarkable for their
hand-engraved precision and detail. His work is broad in scope, including
large, 8-foot crystal works, smaller sculptures, themed sculpture collections
as well as iconic awards. He has participated in many international glass
exhibitions and has been honoured with several prestigious exhibiting
invitations such as at the New York location of Asprey, crown jewellers to her
Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, where he held two one-man exhibitions in 1998 and
1999. His work has been presented to important leaders from the world of
business, the arts, sports and science and resides in private and corporate
collections of an international clientele.
In 2012, Raynes Roberts has exhibited his
crystal art with the British Guild of Glass Engravers in Johansfors, Sweden,
and at the Red House Cone Gallery, National Guild exhibition in Stourbridge,
England. In October, the artist celebrates his 30th Anniversary in
Canada, with a solo exhibition of new works entitled VISIONS OF LIGHT, at the Hotel
Le Crystal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. www.hotellecrystal.com
An artist whose traditional training in
England provided strong grounding in fine detail, his work has evolved in new
directions thanks to the free expression of living in North America where he
continues to experiment with new techniques, styles of expression and medium.
Larger scale works such as the 72-foot
glass tapestry of engraved panels depicting Canadian landscapes, at McMaster
University’s Health Sciences Library, (a designated cultural property of
Canada) have provided impetus for the artist to develop larger scale projects
working with architects and developers.
He describes the ability of multi-faceted
crystal sculpture to magically refract engraved images as the creation of
dreamscapes. And it is this dream-like aspect of his engraved crystal pieces
which he feels can express issues of human transcendence, a subject he has
always wanted to explore in more depth.
One of his crystal collections, The Human
Spirit Collection, owned by DAREarts, a charitable organization that empowers
children through arts programming, depicted life values such as Persistence and
Equilibrium. The sculptures were toured extensively to schools and aboriginal
communities, used as talking points to help children in need contemplate the
importance of the depicted values in their own lives.
The “Visions of Light” exhibition will expand this interest in the
human desire to recognize life-affirming goals. Some of the proposed engraved
crystal pieces will address themes of Connection, Diversity and Tolerance.
Raynes Roberts is interested in exploring how we overcome adversity, how we
move beyond pain and conflict, in all aspects of our lives, individually and
collectively as a society.
The significance of “Visions of Light” is
the artistic evolution from one of Canada’s leading artists, who reminds us
about a craftsmanship from a time when the world was slower, and who helps us
appreciate the beauty and the values which connect us all.
For more information: http://www.markraynesroberts.com/
Mark will offer three winners worldwide, the opportunity to win a
signed copy of "Visions of Light" book - an
80 page colour retrospective book celebrating 30 years of
engraved crystal masterpieces. Value $59.95 each.
