After Czechoslovakia
split up in the early 1990s, the Slovakian postal authorities approached Rudolf
Ciganik whether he would be interested in engraving stamps for them. Ciganik
gladly came on board and embarked on a very successful career as a stamp
engraver, working alongside big names such as Bouda, Horniak and Cinovsky.
His first engraved stamp for Slovakia was the 1993 Children’s book
Illustrations issue. Soon Ciganik would be involved in engraving a stamp for
the country’s first definitives as well.
In 1996, Rudolf
Ciganik got the chance to design his first stamp. Issued in February, Ciganik
designed, and engraved, the 3k value of the Anniversaries set, marking the
death centenary of the writer Jozef Ciger-Hronsky.
A couple of years into
the lifespan of the Slovakian postal authorities they contemplated changing
stamp production from almost entirely recess-printed to the much cheaper and
quicker process of printing in lithography. Needless to say this caused uproar
among the organisation’s stamp engravers, with Ciganik championing the
engravers’ cause. He considers engraving not only a brilliant reproduction technique
but also an important expression of contemporary art.
Having engraved over a
hundred stamps so far, Ciganik managed to have much of his work lauded with
accolades. His 2003 portrait of Beethoven is often praised for its expressive
character.
In 2000, Ciganik’s engraving
of a stamp marking the History of Postal Law helped it being declared the most
beautiful Slovakian stamp of the decade. He did have to share this accolade
with the designer Dusan Kallay of course. The appreciation for this stamp was
not just a national affair, or even a European one. The whole philatelic world
agreed that this was an outstanding piece of work.
More appreciation
followed for a stamp set of 2002. This time, Rudolf Ciganik could take sole
credit for all the praise, as he both designed and engraved the two stamps. It
was a twin issue with the People’s Republic of China. One value depicted
Bojnice Castle in Slovakia, and the other the Handan Terraces in China. The
design of the stamps is very much like his non-stamp work, with his many lines
resulting in what at first sight may seem an overly busy work, but it still
manages to create a very atmospheric image. It’s also very remarkable that he
managed to combine those two culturally diverse subjects into one coherent
design.
The stamp design was
received very well in both countries. In fact, it was so highly thought of in
China that a plaque consisting of a copper relief of the stamp design has since
been put up at the Handan Terraces!
A repeat performance
was held in 2007, for the joint issue with San Marino. Again we see the very
distinct style of Ciganik working wonders on stamp format.
Since 2009, Ciganik has
been involved in engraving many of the values that making up the country’s new
definitive set, showcasing the cultural heritage of Slovakia. These are less
flamboyant than his own work but still show off Ciganik’s engraving talent.
Another ‘signature
stamp’ from his hand is the 2011 stamp depicting the great bustard. This stamp
proves that Ciganik’s design and engraving styles works well with many
subjects, varying from manmade structures to the natural world.
You can find Rudolf Ciganik's database HERE.