Marcus Lyon (born 1965) is a British artist. His works and publications are held in both private and international collections including the Art Institute of Chicago and the Arts Council of Great Britain. His work has been exhibited internationally in over 85 shows.
Born and raised in rural Britain, Lyon read Political Science at Leeds University, Leadership at Harvard Business School and Performance Measurement at the Kennedy School of Governement. His early working life with Amnesty International in Latin America was the inspiration for his exploration of the issues surrounding development and urbanisation. Lyon explores the interface between man and nature in the 21st century. His work and commisions have taken him to 90 countries in the last 2 decades. In 1990 he founded the Glassworks, an award-winning multi-disciplinary photography studio that acts as a gallery, exhibition venue and centre of excellence for commissioned and original artworks.
Over a twenty-five year, critically acclaimed, career he has built a significant reputation as an exhibition and portrait artist. He has photographed a diverse range of public figures from Queen Elizabeth II, to Bill Nighy and the last four British Prime Ministers. Lyon has won numerous awards for his work including the B&H Gold Award, Agfa Photograph of the Year, a Prix Pictet nomination, a D&AD Silver nomination and 5 AOP awards. His early essay work focused on social issue led reportage. He has created extensive bodies of work around the subjects of disability sport and the underclasses of the developing world with a particular focus on street children and manual labour. The early 21st century saw his work move from the micro to the macro with the formation of the large scale BRIC and Exodus series: explorations of urban expansion and migration in the modern world. In recent years he has undertaken significant collaborative commissions producing large-scale imagery in the science/art arena. His current works explore the edges that manifest the inflection points and spaces of critical change that encapsulate the relationship between the man-made and natural worlds.
Outside of the art world Lyon is a determined social entrepreneur and an active public speaker on both photography and development issues. He is an ambassador for Photovoice and Home-Start UK, a former director of Digital Links International, past chairman of the International Children’s Trust and chairman of the global think tank and advocacy network The Consortium for Street Children. Currently he lives in central London with his wife, Bel and their daughter Florence.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2011
Exodus – 1508, London, UK
BRICs – The Cinnamon Club, The City, London, UK
2010
Arts Council Collection – Portcullis House, Houses of Parliament, London, UK
BRICs – Saatchi Gallery, Chelsea, London, UK
2009
BRICs – Thompsons, Marylebone, London, UK
The Paralympics – British Airways HQ, Heathrow, UK
2008
The Paralympics – Lovell’s, London, UK
BRIC’s The Mega City – Dinaburg Arts, New York, USA
2007
The Paralympics – Citibank, Canary Wharf, London, UK
2005
Photovoice – Reuters, Canary Wharf, London, UK
2002
Streetlife – Association Gallery, Shoreditch, London, UK
2001
Glassworks I – The Glassworks Gallery, Kennington, London, UK
1999
Niños – Fundación Guayasamín, Quito, Ecuador
1998
Street Children – Anglo Mexican Institute, Mexico
1996
Agfa Photographer of the Year, Tom Blau Gallery, London, UK
Association of Photographers Awards – Barbican, London, UK
Visions Kapa – Seoul, Korea
Archivo Contemporaneo – Florence, Italy
1995
Tuna – Art Institute of Chicago – USA
1995
Retrospective – Chelsea Arts Club, Chelsea, London, UK
1992
Image 90 – National Theatre, South Bank, London, UK
1990
B&H Gold – Mall Galleries – London, UK