Matthew Lanyon was born in St Ives in 1951, the son of Peter Lanyon – a landscape painter who became a major figure in the world of art. His father- a great inspiration- tragically died at the age of 46yrs from a gliding accident. Having been surrounded by the arts from a young age, Matthew considered going to art school but was deterred by his mother.

Matthew spent four years at university studying a variety of subjects and after, trained as a carpenter and joiner, handling diverse materials and learning a huge amount. In 1988 Matthew began to take his art seriously painting every morning with his son,in the days before he went to school.

Matthew Lanyon has exhibited extensively in London and the South-West – including Tate, St Ives and his work is widely collected.