Silvio Apponyi (born 4 July 1949) is an Australian sculptor based in the

Adelaide Hills The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. The largest town in the area, Mount Barker, South Australia, Mount Barker, is one of Australia's fastest-growi ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, noted for depictions of animals.

Early life and education

Apponyi was born on 4 July 1949 in a refugee camp in

Dachau Dachau (, ; , ; ) was one of the first concentration camps built by Nazi Germany and the longest-running one, opening on 22 March 1933. The camp was initially intended to intern Hitler's political opponents, which consisted of communists, s ...

, near

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

, migrating to Australia during infancy. His father Albert Frederick (Frigyes) Apponyi claimed descent from an illegitimate line of the

Apponyi family The House of Apponyi, also known as Apponyi de Nagy-Appony, was a prominent and powerful Hungarian family of the high Upper nobility (Kingdom of Hungary), upper nobility of the Kingdom of Hungary, whose members remained notable even after the king ...

. The family moved to

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, and Apponyi had a difficult home life. He started

wood carving Wood carving (or woodcarving) is a form of woodworking by means of a cutting tool (knife) in one hand or a chisel by two hands or with one hand on a chisel and one hand on a mallet, resulting in a wooden figure or figurine, or in the sculpture, ...

when he was about five years old. He attended

Woodville High School Woodville High School may refer to: * Woodville High School (Alabama) * Woodville High School (South Australia) * Woodville High School (Texas) See also * Baldwin-Woodville Area High School * Woodsville High School {{schooldis ...

, where he was encouraged to apply for a scholarship to art school.

Career

Apponyi studied

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

at the North Adelaide School of Arts, and during that time won a German Academic Exchange Scholarship ( DAAD), and went on to study for a year at the

Munich Academy The Academy of Fine Arts, Munich (, also known as Munich Academy) is one of the oldest and most significant art academies in Germany. It is located in the Maxvorstadt district of Munich, in Bavaria, Germany. In the second half of the 19th centur ...

. Since then he has had one-man shows and group exhibitions locally, interstate and overseas. He has won several prizes, accepted commissions, conducted workshops in Australia and

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

, and studied wood-block printmaking under a Japanese master. His work is featured in many private collections both here and overseas and in public spaces across Australia. Apponyi was awarded the

Medal of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

(OAM) in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to the visual arts as a sculptor". Apponyi lives and works from his studio located at

Balhannah Balhannah is a town in the Adelaide Hills about 30 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It was established in 1839 as a farming community by James Turnbull Thomson, who built the first hotel. The town soon grew to inco ...

in South Australia.

Major commissions

;1981 *University of Adelaide's Waite Institute ''Aries'' ;1985 *

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, approximately south-west of Sydney and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters patent by Queen Victor ...

NSW, '' The Big Merino'' *

St Patrick's College, Goulburn St Patrick's College, Goulburn was an Independent school, independent, Roman Catholic, Day school, day and boarding school for boys located in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. The college, founded by the Goulburn Catholic Diocese in 1874 ...

, life-sized ''St Patrick'' ;1986 * St Dominic's College, North Adelaide ''St Dominic'' ;1988 *

Tamworth, New South Wales Tamworth is a city and administrative centre of the north-eastern region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the Peel River (New South Wales), Peel River within the local government area of the Tamworth Regional Council, it is the largest ...

, Bicentennial Park, 67 stone sculptures & reliefs ;1989 *

State Bank Tower The State Bank Tower is a high-rise building in the capital city of Mauritius, Port Louis. The 16-storey tower contrary to popular belief, is not the tallest building in Port Louis. It is the fourth tallest building and only steel frame skeleton ...

, Adelaide ''laminated Wooden Relief'' ;1990 * Mt Annan Botanic Garden NSW, sundial of human involvement – with Sundials SA * Flinders University of SA, bronze & marble ''Squid & Prey'' * Kingston, SE SA, Maria Creek beautification, granite sculptures & sundial *Berri SA, ''A Special Place for Jimmy James'' – with Bluey Roberts ;1991 – 2006 *Mitsubishi National Basketball League Trophy ;1992 *

Henley Beach Henley Beach is a coastal suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Charles Sturt. History Henley Beach draws its name from Henley-on-Thames, England. The land where it stands, sections 448 and 2080 in the Hundred of Yatala, was ini ...

Catholic Church, ''Mary with Child'' (RAIA Award), * Granite Island ''Sea lion carved in Situ'' *

Healesville Sanctuary Healesville Sanctuary, formally known as the Sir Colin MacKenzie Sanctuary, is a zoo specialising in native Australian animals. It is located at Healesville in rural Victoria, Australia, and has a history of breeding native animals. It is on ...

, Victoria ''Laughing Kookaburras'' ;1993 *Adelaide Zoo ''Sealion'', *Victor Harbor ''Whale Tail'' *Flinders University ''Woman Washing her Hair'' * Ashford Special School relief carving on granite * Townsend School for the Blind, ''Birdbath with Bronze Tortoise'' ;1994 *Keswick SA ''Wedgetailed Eagle'' * Regency College of TAFE ''Marine Sculpture'' ;1996 *Wagga Wagga ''Waterbirds & Goannas'' *Lutheran Homes, Hope Valley, ''Granite Fountain'' *

''Kangaroo and Emu with Chicks'' ;1997 *Spring Hill Estate SA, wooden carvings, stone reliefs, bronze sculptures *Burnside Shopping Village, granite fountain * Monarto Zoological Park SA, granite & bronze goanna birdbath (donated by the artist) ;1998 *Dudley Park SA, Children's Cemetery, bronze ''Pelican & Chicks'' *Eden Hills SA,

Colebrook Home Colebrook Home was a South Australian institution for Australian Aboriginal children run by the United Aborigines Mission from 1924 (named Colebrook in 1927) to 1981, existing at four locations over its lifetime. History Colebrook Home existed ...

site, granite ''Fountain of Tears'' collaboration with Indigenous Artists ;1999 *BRL Hardy's Banrock Station Wine & Wetlands Centre, Kingston-on-Murray SA, bronze ''Pelican & Chicks'' *University of Adelaide's Waite Institute, bronze ''West Highland White Terrier'' for Greg Johns' tribute to

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*Eden Hills SA,

site, life-sized bronze ''Grieving Mother'' collaboration with Shereen Rankine *Darwin NT, Heritage Walk drinking fountain with Chinese theme, collaboration with Aladar Apponyi ;2000 * Thredbo Village NSW, life-sized bronze ''Eastern Wombat & Grey Kangaroo'' *Gilles Street Primary School, Adelaide, demonstrated granite-carving on boulders which form landscaping for C. Lawrence's mural * Cleland Wildlife Park, Adelaide Hills SA, life-sized bronze ''Koala'' ;2001 *Parliament House, Canberra, green marble lizard *Burnside Shopping Village SA, granite water feature with 3 elements ;2002 *Victor Harbor SA, bronze Penguins for gateway to Granite Island ("Kaiki"), w/ Martin Corbin *SANBL Headquarters, bronze bust of former player Mark Davis * Mikawomma Reserve, Woodville Gardens SA, series of relief carvings. Collaboration w/ Potter/Minuzzo. Design Institute Award ;2003 *Mt Gambier SA, Kimberley Clark foyer, limestone relief, Red-Tailed Black Cockatoos for Landscaping ;2004 *North Adelaide SA, St Dominic's Priory College, Adelaide, water feature and Relief of Young Kaurna girl ;2005 *

Adelaide Convention Centre The Adelaide Convention Centre is a large convention centre on North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia. It was the first purpose-built convention centre to be built in Australia. Along with several other venues, the Adelaide Convention Centre i ...

, River Torrens Precinct, Meals on Wheels 50th Anniversary SA, 2.6m x 4m granite relief *Scotch College, Torrens Park SA, granite relief ''Technology and Science'' ;2006 *Mt Barker District Council Walking Trail SA, Redgum Mother & Toddler ''Catherine & Allana'' carved in situ ;2007 *September: Maroochy Qld, 3 week residency to carve granite sculptures for Botanic Gardens *October: Elliston, Eyre Peninsula, to give workshops at "Sculpture on the Cliffs" *Mt Gambier SA, ''Memories in a Suitcase'', 2m high granite memorial to migrant settlers ;2009 *Peterborough SA, ''

Bob the Railway Dog Bob the Railway Dog (also known as "Terowie, South Australia, Terowie Bob") is part of South Australian Railways folklore. He travelled the South Australian Railways system in the latter part of the 19th century, and was known widely to railwa ...

'' ;2010 *February: St Mark's College, North Adelaide, ''Flame of Learning'' white marble column

Notes

References

Sources

: : : : : {{DEFAULTSORT:Apponyi, Silvio German sculptors German male sculptors 21st-century Australian sculptors 1949 births Living people 20th-century Australian sculptors Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia