BIOGRAPHY
Anthony was born in Scotland but grew up in Qatar and the UAE, before returning to the UK at the age of eight. It was whilst at school in England that he discovered his passion for sculpting and by the age of eighteen he was already casting bronze wildlife sculptures and exhibiting in London’s famous Mayfair art district. His academic interests however have always been Natural History and the works of Charles Darwin. In 2002 he was awarded a place to study Zoology at Cambridge University and in order to maintain his twin passions of art and science, he used his free time to continue developing his skills as a sculptor. Throughout his degree he continued casting and exhibiting his limited edition bronze wildlife sculptures and by the time he graduated he was in a position to set up his own studio. Anthony now has a large body of work in both public and private collections around the world.
HRH Prince Philip unveiling Anthony’s statue of the ‘Young Charles Darwin’ at Cambridge University in 2009
Anthony has been commissioned to create life-sized bronze statues for great institutions, including the Natural History Museum of London and Cambridge University, as well as designing and sculpting 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, which continues to inspire his work.
£2 coin designed and sculpted by Anthony Smith for the Royal Mint.
In 2007 Anthony was elected as a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London – the UK’s foremost learned society for the study of Natural History. He continues to study zoology with a particular focus on animal behaviour.
Anthony Smith and Sir David Attenborough with Anthony’s life-sized bronze statue of the Young Charles Darwin at the University of Cambridge.
Anthony’s presenting career began in 2009 when he worked as a television presenter for a documentary series about the life and travels of Charles Darwin. This series involved an eight-month adventure, resailing the Voyage of HMS Beagle around the world on board a beautiful, three masted tallship, during which Anthony featured as one of the regular presenters. Anthony has been presenting and lecturing ever since.
Since 2014 he has presented hundreds of lectures for luxury cruise lines including Silversea and Seabourn.
‘I had the pleasure of attending several presentations by Anthony Smith, the talented bronze sculptor, photographer and excellent storyteller. Anthony’s presentations are a true delight, as he seamlessly blends his love of art, history, and nature into a mesmerizing experience. If you’re looking for a captivating speaker who can inspire and educate – Anthony Smith is the one.’
Ewa Orankiewicz, Seabourn Ovation Guest
In addition to his sculpting and presenting, Anthony is also a photographer. He licenses images to major publications such as National Geographic and has been commissioned to shoot stories for magazines such as BBC Wildlife Magazine. In 2015 Anthony published his first book; a large format photographic account of the Dutch tall ship Stad Amsterdam.
Nine-page article, written and photographed by Anthony for BBC Wildlife.
Sculpting At Sea
As a perfect compliment to Anthony’s lectures, guests on cruises can also have the pleasure of witnessing one of his original sculptures come to life before their very eyes. During the course of a cruise, Anthony will publicly sculpt a brand new artwork on board the ship and then chronicle the process of casting it in bronze for all to follow. Learn more on his Sculpting At Sea website.
