Anne Dybka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anne Dybka
Dybka with a glass engraving
Born	Anne Hutchings (1921-09-04)4 September 1921 Portsmouth, England
Died	11 May 2007(2007-05-11) (aged 85) Sydney, Australia
Known for	Glass engraving

Anne Dybka (1921–2007) was an amazing artist from England who became famous in Australia for her glass engraving. She learned a lot about painting, drawing, and graphic arts. But she truly shined when she started carving beautiful designs into glass.

Anne Dybka's artwork is so special that you can find it in big art galleries across Australia. Even important people like Hua Guofeng (a former leader of China) and Lord Snowdon owned her pieces.

About Anne Dybka

Anne Ruth Mary Hutchings was born in Portsmouth, England, on September 4, 1921. She passed away in Sydney, Australia, on May 11, 2007, at 85 years old. Her father, Captain John Hutchings, was a brave submarine commander in the Royal Navy.

Even when she was young, Anne loved art. She studied painting and drawing in London with a teacher named Martin Bloch. She also learned graphic arts at London Polytechnic. Anne became a member of London's special group of glass engravers. She was one of only two people known to use a very difficult carving method called the cameo technique. This technique makes parts of the glass stand out like a raised picture.

Her Early Life and Family

When Anne was 19, she married Henry James Thompson, who was called Peter. They had four children: Sarah, Gill, Michael, and Tony. In 1956, Anne, Peter, and their four kids moved all the way to Australia.

In Australia, Anne kept studying art. She went to the National Gallery of Victoria Art School. She also learned from a famous painter named George Bell in Melbourne.

Later, Anne married Rudolf Dybka, an Austrian artist who worked with ceramics. He had also moved to Australia. Anne and Rudolf worked together in art studios in Parramatta during the 1960s and 70s. In 1968, they even set up a pottery studio in their backyard in Rydalmere.

Anne's third partner was Eddy Mills, who was also an engraver. They were together for over 25 years until Anne passed away.

Anne Dybka's Glass Art

How She Learned Glass Engraving

Anne Dybka had a lot of training in art, both in London and Australia. From 1938 to 1944, she studied painting and drawing in London. Then, from 1948 to 1949, she learned graphic arts. After moving to Australia, she continued her art studies in Melbourne in the late 1950s.

During her career, Anne worked for different art companies. She was a decorator for Guy Boyd. She also designed glass for Old Chelsea glassware. From 1970 to 1976, she worked as a glass decoration designer for Crown Crystal Glass in Sydney. All this experience helped Anne try out many different ways to engrave glass.

Her Career as an Artist

In 1967, Anne and her husband Rudolf teamed up with Vladmir Tichy, a sculptor from the Czech Republic. They opened an art studio called Dybka Tichy in Parramatta. Their studio made large art pieces for buildings, handmade tiles, and decorative pottery. They even supplied their art to big department stores like Grace Brothers and Waltons.

Rudolf Dybka left the partnership in 1974 and moved to Victoria. Anne continued to live and work in New South Wales.

In 1978, Anne Dybka opened her own art studio. It was in the Argyle Arts Centre in The Rocks, a historic area in Sydney, Australia. The Argyle Arts Centre is in beautiful old Victorian-style houses. It shows art from Australian and Aboriginal artists.

Anne worked hard, five days a week, on the third floor of her studio. She would sketch, draw, and carve glass. She believed that "each piece must be a work of art…or it isn't good enough." Anne was very focused. She even had a sign asking visitors to only talk to her if they were truly interested in her art. She once said, "Glass Engraving is a precise art…You can't hide any little mistake." Anne worked in this studio until she retired in 2005.

Anne Dybka is still remembered as an important person in The Rocks area because of her art.

In 1995, Anne received the Australia Council Emeritus Fellowship award. This award helps amazing artists continue their creative work. She got it because her art was so good and inspired others. In 2003, at 82 years old, Anne was given the Order of Australia Medal (OAM). This is a special award from the Australian government for great achievements.

Anne Dybka was so skilled that she engraved crystal for famous companies. These included Orrefors glassworks in Sweden, Baccarat from France, and Lalique, another French glass design house.

Exhibitions and Artworks

Solo Exhibitions

Anne Dybka had many shows where only her art was displayed:

• Georges, Melbourne, Vic., 1970
• Distelfink Gallery, Melbourne, Vic., 1983
• Beaver Galleries, Canberra, ACT, 1992
• Blaxland Gallery, Sydney, NSW, 1993
• David Jones, Sydney, NSW, 1993
• Meat Market Craft Centre, Melbourne, Vic., 1994
• Jam Factory Craft and Design Centre Gallery, Adelaide, SA, 1995

Group Exhibitions

She also showed her work with other artists:

• London Guild of Glass Engravers, 1980
• Life Through Glass, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, NSW, 1987

Life Through Glass (1987)

"Life Through Glass" was the first big exhibition in Australia that was all about glass engraving. Anne Dybka and other artists showed their work. Anne even worked with a hologram expert, Paul Dawson. They made holograms that included her engravings. She also had her engraved glass lit up with special lights called fibre optics. This made her art look magical and sometimes created cool optical illusions.

Art at the Beaver Galleries

In 1989, Anne Dybka's art was shown at the Beaver Gallery in Deakin. The exhibition was called "Sculptured Beauty of Glass and Jewellery." Anne showed her work alongside Patricia Robinson and Annette Kalnins. Anne liked to engrave "subjects which had life and movement." She often got ideas from poetry, plays, and nature.

One of her major works on display was five blocks of optical glass. They showed scenes from Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. When you looked at these pieces from different angles, you could see more pictures hidden inside the glass. This was done with the help of Annette Kalnins. Anne also engraved on glass pieces made by other artists like Julio Santos and Setsuko Ogishi. She even worked with jewelers to create pendants, brooches, and earrings.

In 1990, Anne Dybka contributed to the Beaver Gallery again. The gallery owner, Betty Beaver, loved merry-go-rounds and carousel themes. For this exhibition, 18 artists were given a book about carousel animals. Anne created a tiny engraved glass carousel that spun around to music. It had four different horses: a war horse, a winged horse, a sea horse, and a poet's horse. Anne carved these horses herself, which was very special.

Where You Can See Her Art

Art in Public Collections (Australia)

You can find Anne Dybka's art in these public galleries and buildings in Australia:

• National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, ACT
• National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Vic.
• Parliament House, Canberra, ACT
• Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW
• Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Qld
• Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery, Wagga Wagga, NSW

Art in Public Collections (International)

Her work is also in:

• The Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark

Special Artworks She Was Asked to Make

Biggles the Miniature Schnauzer

In The Rocks, there is a bronze statue of a small dog that Anne Dybka helped create. The statue is of a miniature schnauzer named Biggles. Biggles was a very well-known and loved dog in The Rocks community. His owner, Trevor Kelly, would ride his motorcycle with Biggles on the back!

The statue was made after Biggles sadly passed away. Anne Dybka, as a local artist, was chosen to make this statue to remember Biggles. It was unveiled on March 16, 1995.

Government Projects

Anne Dybka was asked by the governments of New South Wales and Tasmania to create special gifts for leaders from other countries. She also made art for public buildings in Sydney. This included a special carved glass eagle for the pulpit (a raised stand for speaking) in St Brigid's Church in North Sydney.

Inside the Senate Chamber of Parliament House in Australia, you can see Anne Dybka's engraving of the shield with state crests. She also made the beautiful glass Commonwealth Star that sits behind the president's chair.

See Also

• Glass engraving
• Cameo glass