About

Born near East London on the South African coast, Ian Yallop began having powerful images as a young boy; capturing scenes of his adulthood as a fine artist.  Despite his desire to be a rockstar, he couldn’t deny his inclination toward art.  Ian sketched as a child and traded his drawing pencil for a paint brush as a teen; at which time his family moved to Nelspruit, the major urban center outside of Kruger National Park.

His father forbade Ian to paint in the house (“no one can make a respectable living as an artist, you must be an engineer”), but Ian stole painting sessions in the middle of the night, while the rest of the house slept.

At 18, Ian’s first painting was sold.  At 20, he began to pursue painting as a career—chalkboard displays for area businesses. Ian was commissioned by Kruger to paint the “Legendary Seven” and the “Magnificent Seven” (the largest tuskers) at the park’s elephant museum.  He taught high schoolers art for three years; and has offered private art courses for over a decade.

A big break came a few years ago, when Richard Branson recognized Ian’s immense talent and purchased a number pieces for his lodge outside of Kruger National Park.

With a solo exhibit in Namibia & a couple in South Africa, Ian is furiously painting & exhibiting throughout the West Coast of the United States.