Richard Landers

Richard Landers is a glass artist from New Plymouth
Bio

Richard Landers is a contemporary glass artist whose sculptural practice explores the interplay of light, form, and space. Working primarily with laminated float glass, often recycled from discarded windowpanes, Landers creates structural works that draw attention to the subtle choreography between reflection, refraction, and negative space. His minimalist forms harness the natural light and surrounding environment, borrowing hues and shifting tones to animate otherwise colourless surfaces.

Balancing precision with intuition, Landers employs the repetition of simple geometric shapes to explore spatial relationships and visual tension. At the heart of his work is a fascination with what is not there: the voids, the absences, and the spaces in between. Each sculpture is a negotiation between material and environment, positive and negative space, light and shadow. While deceptively restrained, these works carry a quiet complexity that rewards close inspection, encouraging viewers to pause, look again, and consider what they might have overlooked.

Sustainability is an ongoing concern within Landers’ practice. By repurposing discarded architectural glass,
he transforms waste material into elegant forms that resonate with environmental and aesthetic purpose.
This commitment to reuse is not only an ecological stance, but a conceptual one, inviting a reconsideration of value, fragility, and transformation.

Alongside his sculptural work, Landers maintains a long-standing stained glass practice, producing bespoke leaded glass installations for architectural settings. These commissioned works, often crafted for heritage villas, churches, or contemporary homes, offer a contrasting discipline that continues to inform and energise his studio practice.

Landers has worked with glass since 1981 and has been a full-time artist since 1987. A founding member of the Art Glass Association of New Zealand, he lives and works from his purpose-built studio and gallery in Omata, Taranaki, where the region’s shifting light, wind, and coastal landscapes inform much of his visual language. From delicate and robust interior pieces to large-scale outdoor installations, Landers’ sculptures, admired for their engaging clarity and meticulous craftsmanship, are held in collections throughout Aotearoa and internationally.

Parnell Gallery has represented Richard Landers since 2025.

Richard Landers is a glass artist from New Plymouth