Roy Rasmussen
Born
Roy Rasmussen was born in 1919 in London, England, to a family of Anglo-Danish heritage.
Early Life
Roy came from a lineage of metal craftsmen, with his grandfather working in metal in Denmark and an uncle in the United States producing sculptural works in aluminium. His families ties to metal work would later influence his own pursue of art later on.
Career
Roy originally started his early working life crafting sheet metal and mastering welding techniques while employed in the car industry at Rolls-Royce, followed by work in the production of artificial limbs. He eventually moved onto sculpting, initially focusing on representational sculpture, achieving early success with his first exhibited work in 1954. In 1955, he presented two works at the Aluminium Centenary Exhibition at the Royal Festival Hall, organized by the Aluminium Development Association and attended by H.R.H. Prince Philip, an event that marked the beginning of his wider recognition.
From the early 1960s, his work was exhibited extensively in London’s West End galleries and internationally, including shows with the British Council at the German Industries Fair and the “English Expressionists” exhibition at Galerie Creuze in Paris. He was closely associated with the Woodstock Gallery in London, working alongside Lyall Watson as both director and artist during its formative years. In 1967, he moved to the John Whibley Gallery on Cork Street in Mayfair, where he remained resident artist until its closure in 1977.
Roy was an early member of the Free Painters and Sculptors group from the 1950s and later became director of their Loggia Gallery in Buckingham Gate, Westminster, in 1984. He continued to exhibit there for many years.
Materials
Rasmussen worked primarily with metal, particularly aluminium, drawing on his technical expertise in sheet metal fabrication and welding.
Style & Subject
Although he began with representational sculpture, Rasmussen gradually moved toward more abstract and symbolic forms. His work was strongly influenced by the aesthetics of ancient Egyptian art, incorporating its sense of mystery, monumentality, and emblematic shapes into his sculptural language.
Awards & Exhibitions
Rasmussen exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, including at the Royal Festival Hall, London galleries, the German Industries Fair, and Galerie Creuze in Paris. Following his death in 2014, the Free Painters and Sculptors established the Roy Rasmussen Award in his honour, recognizing artists who embody his legacy and contribution to the group.
Roy Rasmussen sculptures are available from the sculpture park.
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Abstract £14,400 inc VATLarge Aluminium Abstract Sculpture – Moon Figures by Roy Rasmussen (Unique)
Moon Figures by Roy Rasmussen, Cast Aluminium