User:Mark Raynes Roberts

Mark Raynes Roberts was born in 1961 in Sutton Coldfield, England, and was trained at the Birmingham City University, Institute of Art and Design, receiving several prizes from the British Jewellers Association. In 1982, he emigrated to Toronto, Canada, and in 1984 re-established the company Raynes & Co. Ltd, a company name his great, great grandfather first established in 1873, in Llysfaen, North Wales. www.markraynesroberts.com

Recognized as one of North America's leading designers of luxury goods working in a variety of mediums including crystal, gold, platinum and silver, he has established an international reputation, and is the creator and designer of many of North America's most prestigious awards including the WTA and ATP Rogers Cup tennis trophies, (2001 - 2013) Canada's Entrepreneur Of The Year Award, Canada's Walk of Fame Awards, Governor General of Canada Performing Arts Award and Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Non-Fiction.

Recipients of his crystal art include Dr. Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali, former Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. George Carey, The Governor General of Canada, His Excellency the Right Hon. David Johnston, HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, HRH Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, HRH the Duchess of Kent, Harry Belafonte, Sir Mick Jagger, Serena Williams and Roger Federer among others. www.raynescrystalawards.com

In 1988 the artist, designer and photographer opened the Raynes Crystal Gallery in Toronto, and in 1989, was named an Associate Fellow of the Guild of Glass Engravers in London, England. His crystal art has been exhibited internationally at galleries in England, Sweden, Canada and the United States, and over the past 30 years his bespoke works of art in crystal, gold and silver, have been presented to many of North America's top Fortune 500 companies. In 1999, British crown jeweller Asprey commissioned the artist to create the Ferrari Crystal Collection for exhibition and sale at their New York City location.

In 2003, Raynes Roberts 9-piece Human Spirit Collection was purchased and donated by the late Judith Teller to DAREarts Foundation for Children to assist in teaching "children at risk" life values through the unique art programming provided by the organization. Since then over 30,000 students have viewed the collection in Canada, and it is now part of a new program teaching First Nation students with substance abuse issues in Northern Ontario.

In 2008, McMaster University, Health Sciences Library unveiled the artists largest work to date "A View To Our Heritage" a 53ft hand engraved glass wall installation which has been designated a cultural property of Canada. In 2012, Raynes Art + Design Ltd was established to focus on architectural glass installation for the corporate and residential interior design marketplace. www.raynesartdesign.com

In 2011, the GLASSLANDS Collection,(a series of photographs focused on issues of sustainability) was exhibited at the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, (the largest photographic festival in the world) and in 2013, his "Visions of Light" exhibition presented a 30 year retrospective of the artists crystal art in Toronto, Canada, and at the Plateaux Gallery, London, England. In 2014, Raynes Roberts, presented his 12-piece LUMINOSITY Collection, based on the human relationship between nature and technology at Studio Anise Gallery, in New York City.

In October 2015, ILLUMINATION - "Portraits of Canadian Authors + Literature" a multi-media exhibition will be unveiled at three exhibition venue sites including the Gardiner Museum, the International Festival of Authors and at the Toronto Reference Library. The concurrent exhibitions will present Raynes Roberts 12-piece crystal collection "Portraits of Canadian Literature" which is based upon 12 Canadian authors passages about light, with his "Portraits of Canadian Authors," exhibit of 150 black and white portraits of Canada's literary treasury of writers. www.raynesillumination.com