Foreword to ‘Chris Appleby: Works Past & Present’ (Churchill College, Cambridge, 2011)

Chris Appleby and I were together at the Royal College of Art in the Painting School from 1974-77. Great days to be an art student, with full grants, materials allowance, and 3 years in wonderful studios next door to the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Chris seemed to me to be a focused and mature student, well on his way to being a serious artist. He already had a wife, Sophia, and a growing young family. He was very involved in the RCA Magazine, he’s always been, and is still interested in stories, plays and theatre.

To any artist it’s been obvious, even from a quick glance, that Chris has a great ‘touch’. He has a feel for materials, and process. He’s inventive and restless, and is an excellent printmaker. With typical generosity Chris worked closely with Ken Kiff, helping Ken to realise his early woodcuts. I’m lucky to own one of Ken Kiff’s prints, lovingly hand printed with waterbased inks by Chris.

Chris has always shares his expertise and knowledge. He helped me to research materials for a particular tricky problem that I’d set myself. I have known him for over 35 years, and have witnessed many hilarious rambling conversations where Chris has delighted and provoked.

Out of all our year group at the RCA, Chris was an obvious star. However, being Chris, he wandered off, in the other direction, reluctant to join the conventional gallery system, and strangely reticent and critical about the exquisite paintings he produced. I adore a little gouache of his that I’ve owned from the early 1980s.

Happily, more recently at good venues including Art First, London, Chris has exhibited major work.

I’m very pleased that Chris Appleby, multi-talented maker, teacher, teller of stories, curator, best mate, occasional madman, husband, father and grandfather, and excellent artist is now coming back to the centre stage to take his rightful place.

– Eileen Cooper RA