Martin Mörck, celebrated artist and engraver of postage stamps and banknotes, has created these delightful miniature sheet stamps to mark the anniversary of the 1948 Agreement, which saw the States of Alderney link with States of Guernsey 75 years ago.
Born into a creative family – his father was a graphic artist and stamp collector - Mörck took an interest in drawing and painting from an early age, especially ships and seascapes. He began studies in shipbuilding but left to pursue a career in art and engraving.
In 1971, aged 16, Mörck attended a general art course which opened up the possibility of learning from an engraver. In 1975, he began an apprenticeship at the Swedish postal service, which led to Mörck engraving his first postage stamp, for Sweden, just two years later: a definitive depicting a tawny owl.
Since that first stamp, Mörck has enjoyed an illustrious career and it is reputed that he regularly spends no fewer than 60 hours a week working on his engravings.
Mörck is known for his exquisite craftsmanship and attention to detail. He uses a traditional technique of handengraving on steel plates, which requires a good deal of skill and patience: it is said that he can spend up to 100 hours on a single stamp design. He has engraved portraits of famous people including Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II, as well as animals, plants, landscapes, buildings and cultural symbols.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mörck’s has received numerous accolades for his work, including being named “Engraver of the Year” by the International Association of Philatelic Journalists four times (1988, 1994, 2004 and 2014). He has also been awarded the Grand Prix de l’Art Philatélique by France (1997) and the Prix Cérès by Monaco (2000).
An active stamp artist and engraver, as well as a painter and illustrator, Mörck remains passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience and has given lectures and workshops on stamp art and engraving around the world. He is also a member of several philatelic societies and organisations.
Martin Mörck is undoubtedly one of the greats in stamp art, whose stamps are admired by many for their beauty, quality and variety.
