Heinrich Filter, Sculptor – a wild life in silver and bronze

Heinrich is a South African sculptor whose keen eye for nature is accurately reproduced in his detailed works. His love for the African bush has been an enduring hallmark of his life – from his early days spent walking Southern Africa’s game trails through to adulthood working as a professional safari guide.

From the age of 11, Heinrich has had an abiding love of nature. After university, he headed out into the bush, opting for life as a safari guide. Being able to scour the African bush in search of its abundant wildlife was like coming home. Heinrich would spend 12 years as a professional safari guide leading luxury mobile safaris and expeditions across South Africa and Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

In 1995 Heinrich met his wife in Maun, Botswana, and after their wedding in 2000 the couple moved to London in search of a new challenge and career. Although Heinrich has never had formal art school training, teaching himself fine metalworking he soon discovered his own artistic ability and eye for detail. He specialised in the chasing and finishing of fine bronze and silver sculptures and restoring antique and modern metalwork. During his time in London Heinrich quickly built up a reputation for his excellent craftsmanship and established sculptors used him to finish and chase their bronze and silver equine and wildlife sculptures. Heinrich has worked on commissioned pieces destined for HRH Prince of Wales, Prince William, Sheikh Mohammed, Sheik Zayed and Sheik Al Maktoum, including works on display at William & Son, the Sladmore Gallery and the Halcyon Gallery.

Returning 12 years later to South Africa with his young family, equipped with skills he honed over the years Heinrich took up a challenge to make his own work and took to it like a duck to water. Taking inspiration from the bush and his previous experience as a safari guide he naturally took up wildlife sculpting. Heinrich’s love for silver and bronze made it possible for him to manifest his keen eye for detail and craftsmanship as each piece is individually chased and finished by the sculptor himself. Given his expertise in wildlife, bird, figurative, abstract and African works, Heinrich has become a welcome addition to the African and international art scene.

In 2020 the artist branched out into bespoke bronze furniture and lighting which is cast in his Black Dog Foundry. Cast in bronze using the lost wax method, his art and furniture continue to be inspired by Africa and it’s magnificent wildlife and people.

Available in any size – from small coffee table pieces to monumental statues – all Heinrich’s works are limited, signed and numbered editions.

Heinrich’s innate ability to create exquisitely accurate representations of animals and birds is as finely honed as the wild instinct of the creatures he so admires. You could say it’s is in his nature.