Ian Pyper

Ian Pyper (b. 1955) was born into a working class family in Liverpool, England. Born with only a thumb and two fingers on each hand, he loved to do "weird" drawings as a child. His father, who saw little practical value in art, encouraged him to pursue a career as a draftsman, but he fell into a job in accountancy with the National Coal Board. In 1981 he left his redundant job to pursue his unique artistic vision. He does his somewhat obsessive drawings in ink and watercolor on paper and wallpaper backing. In an article in Les Friches de l'art (1994), Joe Ryczko coined the term "paleolithique moderne" to describe Ian's work, which bares a resemblance to tribal and aboriginal body maps. Drawing faster and slower according to internal rhythms, he works every day until the pain in his wrist forces him to put down the pen. His art comprises a personal, spiritual diary, and he is often reluctant to surrender it to the marketplace. He has shown all over the world and his work has been included in many publications.