Richard Deacon

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For the actor Richard Deacon, see Richard Deacon (actor).

For the popular historian Donald McCormick, who also wrote under the pseudonym Richard Deacon, see Donald McCormick.

Richard Deacon CBE (born 15 August 1949) is a British sculptor.

Born in Bangor in Wales, Deacon was educated at Plymouth College and then studied at the Somerset College of Art in Taunton, St Martin's School of Art in London and the Royal College of Art, also in London. He left the Royal College in 1977, and went on to study part time at the Chelsea School of Art. Deacon's first one man show came in 1978 in Brixton.

Deacon's work is abstract, but often alludes to anatomical functions. His works are often constructed from everyday materials such as laminated plywood, and he calls himself a "fabricator" rather than a "sculptor". His early pieces are typically made up of sleek curved forms, with later works sometimes more bulky.

Deacon's body of work includes small-scale works suitable for showing in art galleries, as well as much larger pieces shown in sculpture gardens and objects made for specific events, such as dance performances.

Deacon won the Turner Prize in 1987, having previously been nominated in 1984.

Deacon was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1999 New Year Honours List.