“As a stone-carver, my approach was unaffected by the prospect of the finished work being cast in silver rather than bronze: the challenge lay in being restricted to the maximum of 6 inches in any plane. I was surprised at how much greater the colour/ texture contrast was, in silver, between the Armadillo’s polished bulges and the incised recesses. This contrast encouraged me subsequently to carve more ‘textured’ animals (e.g. crocodile, sea-horses, snails), some on a much larger scale. The history of Young Vole is unusual – it was part of the “alphabetical” exhibition entitled “From Aardvark to Zebra” and V was missing from my collection. An old carving of an elephant was “recycled” and transformed into a much smaller vole. The form was kept simple, devoid of any contrasting ridges – and it remains to be seen whether casting in silver will provide fresh lessons or surprises.”

Anita Mandl was born in Prague. She trained as a zoologist and studied sculpture at the Birmingham College of Art. She is a Member of the Royal West of England Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. Her carvings, mostly in stone, are cast into editions in bronze and silver. Her deep knowledge of animal anatomy and behaviour informs her sculptures which are skilfully pared down to convey the very nature of a species. Their economy of language, their smooth and lustrous surfaces, together express the essential characteristics of an animal. The Royal West of England Academy has hosted a major solo exhibition of Mandl’s work and the Zoological Society of London has used her sculpture as prizes for the Stamford Raffles Award. She exhibits regularly and widely in England and the Channel Islands.