Alan Thorpe's Biography

Alan Thorpe is a self-taught artist. His desire for freedom of expression and to find his own way prompted him to turn from traditional academic training. His work has been influenced to some degree by his admiration for the styles of ancient Egyptian art and such artists as Henry Moore, Jacques Lipchitz, Alexander Archipenko and Picasso.

Some themes that are recognizable in even his most abstract works are the female figure, mother and child, dancers and floral designs inspired by the paintings of Georgia O'Keefe.

In the early 90's he started designing animal sculpture in a sleek, hard edge style. First, a series of domestic cats, which has grown to include six poses. Next he turned to African animals sculpting a high-spirited running rhinoceros, a playful baby elephant, a soft and gentle mother giraffe with her calf.

In a world where originality is very hard to achieve, Thorpe's works stand apart. The variety of subject matter and his mastery in combining design and material gives his work a unique quality. Thorpe sculpts in wood, stone, aero-space high density polyurethane with automobile lacquers and enamels, cast cement re-enforced with fiberglass, and pressed paper.

Through the sales of their work, Alan and Gayle support the efforts of many organizations working to protect animals ...wild and domestic ...including the Humane Society of the U.S., the Maui Humane Society, the East Maui Animal Refuge, the World Wildlife Fund, the ASPCA, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and others.

Alan Thorpe currently lives and works in Haiku, on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

Galleries that are currently representing the work of Alan Thorpe: