Malcolm Appleby

Malcolm Appleby [born 1946] is known primarily as an engraver, one of the most original and highly skilled craftsmen working in Britain today. He has made a unique contribution to the art of engraving, expanding its conservative reputation into a dynamic and thrilling adventure, a creative path that encompasses many disciplines from jewellery, sculptural and table objects, medals, gun engraving, printmaking and ephemera, pushing boundaries wherever he finds them. He has encouraged and inspired a new generation of engravers who have gone on to become original and successful practitioners in their field.

His extraordinary output ranges from commemorative pieces such as the electro-formed gold Model of the Moon — a gift for the first moon landing astronauts (1969), or creating the Trafalgar Medal, marking 200 years since the Battle of Trafalgar (2005), dramatically illustrating the precise moment of mortal combat. His appreciation of the natural world is everywhere evident in his work, including the sublime totem-like engraving of the Raven Gun — the first modern work commissioned by the Royal Armouries, on display at the Tower of London (1986) — one of a series of guns that has made Malcolm a recognised master of this field. The Scottish landscape is highlighted in the stunningly original Sculptural Centrepiece made for the First Minister of Scotland’s residence at Bute House (1999) which features in its parts the dramatic coastlines of the north of Scotland, including the stacks and boulders seen around the shores. A pair of Candlesticks for St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh (2014) incorporates bird and fish imagery that perfectly complements their setting.

What is evident in Malcolm’s work is a mind that is constantly turning over ideas, pushing the limits of a materials-based discipline, while also demonstrating the beauty and joy of cutting the line. This most elemental of techniques, engraving, has resulted in a feast of expression that finds its home in large sculptural form or the tiniest of kilt buttons.