"Apicella does not take any prisoners. He sends them all to the guillotine.

In his splendid body of work, the artist takes aim at the American empire. In one single cartoon, Apicella strips the reality of the modern world: one single Empire, and the rest of the world, queuing to lick its boots.

Each and every cartoon expresses a complex idea in a simple image immediately comprehensible, whilst simultaneously conveying a deep alienation to the current world situation. 

Apicella, now in his 90s, has more vitality than many artists half his age, or even less; and none have his vision nor his sensibility.

Enzo Apicella, cartoonist (political but not only), illustrator, designer, photographer and painter, was born in Naples in 1922. An autodidact, his cartoons have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines “Corriere della Sera”, ‘La Stampa’, il Manifesto”, “Liberazione”, “The Observer”, “The Guardian”, “Punch”, “The Economist” and “Harpers and Queen”.

Tariq Ali - writer, journalist, and filmmaker. He is a member of the editorial committee of the New Left Review and Sin Permiso, and contributes to The Guardian, CounterPunch, and the London Review of Books.

"Apicella’s body of work is full of surreal irony, a graphic protest for our times, a kind of Edward Munch's “ Scream", a poignant accusation against those who take part in violence, and also against those who passively submit to it. 

Apicella has designed more than 140 restaurants and painted numerous murals. A tireless advocate of Peace, Apicella has participated in numerous shows in favour of Palestinian children. He lives in London and Rome."

Lucio Manisco - ex director of "Liberazione"

LIFE AND WORK OF ENZO APICELLA

Enzo Apicella was born in Naples, Italy on 26 June 1922. Having served in the Italian Air Force during World War II, he went on to study at film school in Rome. Soon after, he became a freelance designer working in illustration and print journalism before co-founding Melodramma, an opera magazine, in Venice in 1953.

When the magazine ceased publication, he came to England in 1954 and began designing posters and sets for television, as well as producing cartoon films. A self-taught cartoonist, his cartoons have been published in The Observer, The Guardian, Punch, The Economist, Private Eye, Harpers & Queen and "Liberazione".

In 1974 Apicella worked with artists John & Rosalind on the LP album A Night at Factotum. He produced the sleeve design and caricatures. He is not only a restaurant designer and former restaurateur, but is acclaimed as one of the protagonists of the Sixties – an enigmatic maverick, described by Vogue's Bevis Hillier as "One of the creators of the Swinging Sixties" who profoundly influenced the face of London's restaurant scene. Known for going that much further than any of his contemporaries, Apicella understood that the pop uprising demanded more eating out than in.

He worked as an interior designer for over 150 restaurants, including 70 for Peter Boizot's Pizza Express. He was co-owner of Club dell'Arethusa, Meridiana, Factotum, Apicella '81 and Condotti.

He has collaborated and worked with many well-known London restaurateurs including Peter Langan, Peter Boizot, Michael Chow, Alvaro Maccioni, Sir Terence Conran, Mario Cassandro and The Wolseley's, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King.

Apicella is a member of the Chartered Society of Designers and is listed in the Dictionary of British cartoonists and caricaturists.

Please visit Enzo Apicella's website for more information: 

http://enzoapicella.tumblr.com