Chihuly at Harrods

Today, Harrods unveiled a commissioned sculpture by Chihuly, the Amber and Gold Chandelier. 

This is the first time Harrod’s has commissioned a major artwork. The artwork is part of the multi-million pound Qatar Holdings refurbishment of the historic building. The Amber and Gold Chandelier is comprised of 1,400 hand-blown glass elements. Chihuly created a new diamond-esque Chandelier part, the Frond, for use in the sculpture.  

Chihuly first exhibited a Chandelier in 1992 during the opening exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum. 

“What makes the Chandeliers work for me is the massing of color,” says Chihuly. “If you take hundreds of pieces, put them together and shoot light through them, it is going to be something to look at. Then, you hang it in space and it becomes mysterious, defying gravity or seemingly out of place, like something you have never seen before.”

Chihuly’s work is widely known and collected in the U.K. He is perhaps best known for the Chihuly at the V&Aexhibition at the V&A Museum in 2001. His 27-foot-long V&A Chandelier – inaugurated by the Queen – remains in the museum in the grand entrance hall. The artwork has been seen by millions since its installation. The V&A show was followed by a garden exhibition, Gardens of Glass, Chihuly at Kew at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 2005, which was seen by 860,000 people. His work was included in a group exhibition titled Beyond Limits at Chatsworth in 2006. He also has a Chandelier installation on view at Claridge’s. In 2012, Halcyon Gallery worked with Chihuly to present the temporary Torchlight Chandelier installation, which was on view during the Olympic Games in London. 

Watch a video capturing the install of the sculpture.