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Knife Angel

Knife Angel, also known as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression, is a sculpture made from 100,000 knives by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre in Oswestry, England. Work on the 27-foot-tall monument began in 2015 and was completed three years later. The knives came from police confiscations and from people responding to the campaign "Save a live, surrender your knife." Forty-one police forces across England took part. According to the British Ironworks Centre, 30% of the knives came from police, while the rest were made at the centre. The wings include engraved information about victims of knife crime. The sculpture has no permanent home and has been shown in several English cities.

Knife Angel sculpture with outstretched hands and feathered wings outside a stone cathedral.
The Knife Angel stands outside Chester Cathedral, its figure and wings formed from knives.
November 2019 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Knife Angel sculpture shown from below against a cloudy sky, with outstretched hands and wing-like forms made from blades and knife handles.
The Knife Angel rises dramatically against the sky, its feathered wings and figure formed from thousands of blades.
September 2022 © JOHN K THORNE · CC0
Close-up of the Knife Angel sculpture’s metallic head with hollow eyes and blade-like spikes forming the hair.
Close-up of the Knife Angel sculpture showing its textured metal face and spiked hair.
November 2019 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Knife Angel sculpture леж on a blue flatbed trailer beside a road, with a stone church and clock tower in the background.
The Knife Angel sculpture is transported on a blue trailer past a church with a tall clock tower.
October 2022 © JOHN K THORNE · CC0
A large KITE Haulage Ltd truck parked on a street beside a stone church with a tall clock tower.
A KITE Haulage Ltd truck parked near a historic church with a clock tower.
October 2022 © JOHN K THORNE · CC0

Identification

TitleKnife Angel
Polish nameNożowy Anioł
TypeSculpture
Alternative nameNational Monument Against Violence and Aggression

Creator

ArtistAlfie Bradley
Collaborating organizationBritish Ironworks Centre
Artist nationalityLondon-based

Discovery and provenance

Completion date2018; some sources say 2017
Reported cost£500,000
Production timeMore than two years
Work start date2015–2016
Location of creationOswestry, England
Commissioned byBritish Ironwork Centre

Physical characteristics

Height27 feet (823 cm) / 27 feet (8.2 m)
WeightMore than three tonnes
FormAngel figure
StructureA central steel body clad in blades

Materials

Primary materialAbout 100,000 knives and other bladed weapons
Structural materialsSteel frame and steel plates
Additional materialA World War II bayonet
Included but not usedIncorrectly packaged explosives in one consignment

Technique

Knife amnestyAn amnesty was announced for anonymous knife donations
Condition of some itemsSome police-seized knives arrived in evidence bags or tubes with bodily fluids on their surface
Construction methodEach knife and weapon was cleaned and disinfected, then blunted and welded onto a steel frame or steel plates; the wings were given a feather-like appearance
Police contribution41 police units from across England contributed; according to British Ironworks Centre, 30% of the knives came from police and the rest were made at the centre
Material sourcingKnives and other weapons were donated anonymously, confiscated by police, or collected in special bins; 200 knives were produced at the ironworks

Appearance

InscriptionInformation about victims of knife crime on the wings
EngravingsSome blades were engraved with victims' names or messages from their families; over 80 families requested personal messages

Iconography and meaning

PurposeA memorial for people affected by knife crime and a reflection on violence; created to highlight knife crime in the United Kingdom and educate young people about the harmful effects of violent behaviour on their communities
ThemeViolence, especially knife crime
Artist's personal connectionAlfie Bradley was himself a victim of knife crime

Location and ownership

Announced destinationRoyal Armouries Museum in Leeds (announced 25 January 2024)
Exhibition historyDisplayed in multiple cities across England, Wales, and Scotland, including Coventry, Birmingham, Hull, Leeds, Bristol, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Southend-on-Sea, Corby, Aberystwyth, Birkenhead Park, Kirkleatham Museum, Milton Keynes, Newport, Slough, Gloucester Cathedral, Guildford Cathedral, Crewe, Nuneaton, Lichfield, Colchester, Bolton, Walsall, Bury, Taunton, Weston-super-Mare, Sunderland, Haverhill, Perth, Newton Aycliffe, Welwyn Garden City, Plymouth, and Newark-on-Trent
Display statusNo permanent display location; on nationwide tour
Current locationBritish Ironwork Centre, Oswestry, United Kingdom

History and restoration

Public reactionControversial; some victims' families and relatives protested or opposed its display, while others supported it
Reception by criticsCriticized by Paddy Tipping and refused for exhibition by Nottingham City Council; Jon Collins said it was beautiful but there were other priorities
InterpretationsDavid Whitfield questioned its artistic nature but saw it as effective as a memorial; Roger Henry said it is more than a simple monument
Exhibition-related eventsEarly design stages were shown on Escape to the Country in 2014; Jules Hudson welded a World War II bayonet onto a metal plate as part of the project
Exhibition-related eventsThe sculpture's visit to Newark-on-Trent coincided with the first anniversary of the murder of local man James Cook (Cookie) on Castlegate on 1 May 2026

Significance

StatusConsidered the main attraction of the British Ironwork Centre
InspirationCreated after the success of Spoon Gorilla, a monkey covered in spoons