Anne Civardi was born and educated in Africa and has lived in America, but has spent the majority of her life in London. She studied art both in Colorado, USA, and London, where she received a sculpture diploma at Heatherley’s School of Fine Art. It was here that her passion for stone carving began.
 
Anne carves mostly in alabaster and is currently working on a series of abstract shell shapes and fragments. Her inspiration for these comes from the endless hours she spent collecting and searching for shells on the beaches of Kenya during her childhood. She also enjoys carving female figures, especially those that evoke the love between a mother and a child.
 
“I choose a shell, or fragment of a shell as my starting point– often just a few centimeters in size. Then I pick out on whichever part captures my imagination most, either for its fragility, its hollows, curves, contours, points or spirals. From here I select a piece of alabaster to compliment the shape and size of my final piece.
 
To me, alabaster is the queen of stones because of its translucency as well as its depth and variations in colour. Once polished, light floods through the finely carved areas, while highlighting the tonal qualities of the stone. One cannot help but touch the smooth, shiny surfaces.”
 
Anne also writes children’s books. She has written several art books for children, including two on sculpture. “It is never too early to encourage children to appreciate art.”