Sculptor and teacher, born in Leeds, where he studied at the College of Art, 1934-7, then at the Slade School of Fine Art, 1937-9.

He served in the Army, 1939-46, then taught sculpture at Bath Academy of Art until 1956, although he was a Gregory Fellow in Sculpture at Leeds University, 1953-5. Armitage had his first solo show at Gimpel Fils in 1952, two years later at Bertha Schaefer Gallery in New York. Was represented in the British pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1952, where he showed People in a Wind, of 1950, a characteristic work of this period.

Earlier Armitage had been a carver. From the end of the 1960s his technique changed again, figures of plaster, paper and wood being produced. Armitage represented Britain at the 1958 Venice Biennale, winning the David E Bright Sculpture Prize. By then Armitage was launched on an international exhibiting career. Armitage was guest artist in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1964; artist-in-residence at City of Berlin Kunstlerprogram, 1967-9, and guest teacher at centenary year, Boston University, 1970.

He had retrospectives at Whitechapel Art Gallery in 1959, the Arts Council in 1972, and an eightieth birthday show at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Bretton Hall, 1996. Tate Gallery, Victoria & Albert Museum and many other public collections hold examples. Armitage married the artist Joan Moore in 1940. Lives in London.