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 even in 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 gentile 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.
Through the sales of their work, Alan and his wife 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 many others.
Alan Thorpe currently lives and works in Haiku, on the island of Maui, Hawaii.