Silvio Apponyi

Apponyi was born on 4 July 1949 in a refugee camp in Dachau, near Munich, migrating to Australia during infancy. His father Albert Frederick (Frigyes) Apponyi claimed descent from an illegitimate line of the Apponyi family.^[1]

The family moved to Adelaide, and Apponyi had a difficult home life. He started wood carving when he was about five years old. He attended Woodville High School, where he was encouraged to apply for a scholarship to art school.^[1]

Apponyi studied sculpture 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.^[1]

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, 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.^[1]

Apponyi was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 2020 Queen's Birthday Honours for "service to the visual arts as a sculptor".^[2]

Apponyi lives and works from his studio located at Balhannah in South Australia.^[3]

1981

• University of Adelaide's Waite Institute Aries

1985

• Goulburn NSW, The Big Merino^[a]
• St Patrick's College, Goulburn, life-sized St Patrick

1986

• St Dominic's College, North Adelaide St Dominic

1988

• Tamworth, New South Wales, Bicentennial Park, 67 stone sculptures & reliefs

1989

• State Bank Tower, 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 Catholic Church, Mary with Child (RAIA Award),
• Granite Island Sea lion carved in Situ
• Healesville Sanctuary, 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
• Healesville Sanctuary 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 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 Peter Waite
• Eden Hills SA, Colebrook Home 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, 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

2010

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