OLIVER, Richard

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Richard Oliver was born and grew up in the Northeast of England. The first 25 years of his professional life were spent in industry as a sheet metal worker and ventilation fitter. In a bold move, he enrolled to study glass and ceramics at the University of Sunderland, gaining his degree followed by his master's in Ceramics. In 2019, Richard moved to Suffolk and joined Butley Mills Studios, an artists’ studio complex near Snape which include an artist-run bronze foundry. Having access to the foundry on site, Richard can create and use his specialist skills throughout the entire process of casting the “Hollow Head” bronzes. He is working upon a series of ‘Hollow Head’ sculptures which remove all the recognisable and relatable visual effects of the face and by creating a void, the intention is to invoke the hollow empty interior space that is a part of the human experience often felt most vividly, during times of loss. These heads still portray the echo of emotions via their gesture and poise. The highly polished bronze heads intentionally function as a reflective mirror which also invites the viewer to contemplate and self-reflect. Richard has exhibited throughout the UK, including in 2023 ‘Dirty Works’ alongside artists Ryan Gander, Clare Twomey, and William Cobbing (1974-) and 2024 in the exhibition ‘As Self As Self As’ 2024 with the painters Paul Sallis Benney, Anna Ilsley, and others. He has also facilitated work for international artists including Antony Gormley (1950-), Sarah Lucas (1962-), and Dame Magdalene Odundo (1950-).