Richard Malone Artist Interview: On Craft, Class, and Creative Rebellion
- MINDED
- Apr 7
- 3 min read
In this intimate Richard Malone artist interview, we sit down with the Irish artist and designer to explore the threads of identity, memory, and resistance that shape his multidisciplinary practice. From rural Wexford to London’s Royal Academy and New York’s MoMA, Malone reflects on how his upbringing, queerness, and defiant stance on categorization have defined his voice across fashion, sculpture, and performance.
A Self-Taught Sensibility Rooted in Rural Ireland
Malone opens up about growing up in a working-class family in Wexford, Ireland—far from the cultural capitals he now exhibits in. Without formal exposure to museums or elite art circles, his creativity was sparked by necessity, imagination, and a deep respect for materiality. As he recalls, “Anything creative or any kind of output like that, I had to rely on myself and my imagination.”
His early influences include the domestic environments of his grandmother—filled with handcrafts, quilting, and storytelling—and his father’s construction work, giving him a unique grasp on both traditionally “feminine” and “masculine” forms of making.
Art vs. Design: Two Different Languages from the Same Source
While Malone is known for his work in both fashion and fine art, he draws a clear distinction between the two. “Design is about function. Art can be insular,” he explains. His approach resists conventional boundaries, making space for experimentation and failure—elements he believes are essential to any creative breakthrough.
This tension is a recurring theme throughout the Richard Malone artist interview, highlighting how his refusal to fit neatly into industry-defined boxes has set him apart.
Richard Malone Artist Interview: Identity, Class, and Craft
A powerful aspect of Malone’s work is its confrontation with systems of power—particularly around class, access, and visibility. “People were being judged by the references they used. I had none,” he says. This honesty about inequality within the creative industries—especially fashion—underscores his desire to make work that isn’t just visually radical, but politically resonant.
He shares how institutions like MoMA and the Met began to support his work precisely because it challenged convention. “They didn’t know what the final pieces would look like. But they trusted me. That makes all the difference.”
Trust, Love, and the Power of Slowness
Whether reflecting on long-term creative partnerships, collaborations with his partner Tom, or deeply personal connections like the one with his grandmother, Malone returns to the same theme: trust. “Nothing works unless there’s trust,” he says. And that trust—between maker and material, institution and artist, self and story—is what has sustained him.
He resists the pressure to chase scale or fame, choosing instead a life anchored in meaningful, deliberate work: “The luxury isn’t in the cash that comes from it. The luxury is in the time you get to spend with the object you’re making.”
This Richard Malone artist interview is more than a profile—it’s a meditation on creativity without compromise. His story reminds us that craft is political, that resistance can be tender, and that true artistry often lives between the lines.
Key Quotes from Richard Malone:
“Fashion never knew what to do with me—and I never knew what to do with it.”
“When you make space by saying no, the right things come.”
“Trust is everything. Without it, there’s no art.”
Key Takeaways from MINDED
Richard Malone’s work is rooted in observation, not reference. He values originality over trend, trusting his instinct over industry expectations.
Class and queerness shape his lens. He speaks powerfully about invisibility, resilience, and the stories that don’t fit easy labels.
Trust enables risk. When institutions give Malone freedom, he delivers with bold, conceptual work that defies categories.
Slowness is a form of resistance. In a fast-paced world, Malone sees care, craftsmanship, and reflection as radical creative tools.
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