A Wadebridge-based sculptor, Richard Austin creates fibreglass human figures such as a pair which adorn the King Harry Ferry, and his 15-foot 'Warrior of the Surf' situated at Watergate Bay, previously located at Malibu, California. Once a keen surfer, Austin had to abandon this sport owing to a genetic connective tissue disorder. 'Warrior' is a powerful expression of his enduring love for the sea. 

Austin's artistic evolution was far from straightforward. After joining the Merchant Navy at the age of 16, he travelled on a Greek sailing ship, sketching inbetween giving English lessons to the second-in-command. 

Nowadays he works from a studio on an industrial estate in Wadebridge. His materials are both man-made and industrial, an example of the latter being Nidaplast, which is coated to resemble bronze or copper. One of his regular customers is Northampton Borough Council, and he has undertaken wide-ranging public and private commissions not only in the UK, but also the USA.

Alongside his art practice, Richard conducts sculpture workshops from his studio.