Anthony Smith has been honoured to produce works for major institutions including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the Natural History Museum of London, and Amsterdam Royal Zoo. His sculptures have been unveiled by luminaries such as Sir David Attenborough, HRH Prince Philip, and the King and Queen of Sweden.
Biography
Anthony Smith was born in Scotland in 1984 and grew up in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He fell in love with sculpting whist at school in England and by the age of eighteen he was casting bronze wildlife sculptures and exhibiting in London’s famous Mayfair art district. His passion for Natural History inspired him to study Zoology at the University of Cambridge, and alongside his studies he developed his skills as a sculptor: casting, exhibiting and selling his limited edition bronze wildlife sculptures. Upon graduating in 2005 he set up his own sculpting studio and his reputation has continued to grow ever since. He now has a large body of work in both public and private collections all around the world, and is based in the Netherlands.
Carefully observing wild animals in their natural environment provides the inspiration for all of Anthony’s wildlife sculptures. He travels for months at a time, to all seven continents of world, in search of the necessary knowledge and experience that informs his work. Combining detailed studies of anatomy and extensive observation of wildlife behaviour, he aims to capture the essential character and form of each subject that he sculpts.
“It is through my direct experiences of the natural world, informed by my love of science, that I am inspired to create artworks that celebrate the natural world. An important goal of my sculptures is to foster a respect and appreciation for nature, and a desire to protect it.”
– Anthony Smith –
Public Commissions
Anthony has been honoured with various high profile commissions and appointments, including life-sized statues for the Natural History Museum of London and Cambridge University, as well as a new two-pound coin for the United Kingdom. He has also been awarded Artist Residencies in both the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, where he has spent several months living alongside penguins, albatrosses and seals.
HRH Prince Philip unveiling Anthony’s statue of the Young Darwin for Christ’s College, Cambridge University
Photographing Black-browed Albatrosses in the Falkland Islands on assignment for BBC Wildlife Magazine.
A Life of Travel
Anthony gains the inspiration for his work through firsthand experiences of the world, its people and its wildlife. Travel is a crucial part of his work; he has travelled widely across all seven continents and all of the world’s oceans, from the Geographic North Pole to below the Antarctic Circle, and more than 110 countries in between. In 2009-10 he sailed around the world aboard the beautiful three-masted tall ship, Stad Amsterdam. This eight-month voyage was undertaken for a television documentary retracing Darwin’s Voyage of the Beagle, and as a television presenter for this series, Anthony visited many remarkable places. He continues to spend several months each year visiting remote places, observing and photographing wild animals, and gathering the experiences and inspiration for creating his artworks in his studio in the Netherlands.
“I love observing wild animals in their natural environment, and this is the primary inspiration for my art. I strive to capture that fantastic feeling we experience when surrounded by nature, quietly observing wild animals going about their daily lives, unfettered by human interference.”
– Anthony Smith –
Sculpting At Sea
Anthony has a website and blog for the ‘Sculpting At Sea’ projects that he undertakes on board cruises around the world. He will gather inspiration and reference materials during a voyage, and then create an original sculpture on board the ship which is then moulded and cast in bronze once Anthony is back on shore. This way, guests on the cruise have the unique opportunity to witness the creation of a sculpture from its inception, and follow the whole creative process online. Please visit the Sculpting At Sea Website to learn more.
Sculpting on board the Seabourn Ovation.
Anthony presenting a lecture on the topic of public bronze statues.
Public Speaking
Anthony has been presenting and lecturing on the subject of art and sculpture for more than a decade, both as a television presenter and as a guest speaker for public and private events. Please visit his Lecturing Website to learn more.
‘Anthony is one of the most engaging lecturers we have had the pleasure to spend time with. As well as being a highly talented bronze sculptor, Anthony has the ability to make his lectures fun, insightful and personal as well as imparting a great deal of knowledge. I highly recommend him as both a presenter and a dinner companion!’
– Caroline & Michael Foulger, Seabourn Ovation Guests –