Alison Lapper Biography: Alison Rapper MBE born 7 April 1965 is a British artist. She is the subject of the sculpture Pregnant Alison Rapper, which was exhibited on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square from September 2005 to the end of 2007. She and her late son Paris appeared in the BBC documentary series A Child of Our Time.
Alison Lapper Biography 2025
Alison Lapper was born on April 7, 1965 in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire. She was born with no arms and short legs, a condition called phocomelia. She was institutionalized as a baby and remains estranged from her family.[5] When she received her prosthetic limbs, she felt the purpose was not to help her, but to make her less embarrassed in the eyes of others. She abandoned them, noting that life is much easier without external aid.
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Alison Lapper Biography Details
Personal Information
Birth Date
7 April 1965 (age 59)
Place of Birth
Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire
Education
Chailey Heritage School
Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People
Alma Mater
Heatherley School of Fine Art
University of Brighton School of Art
Children
Parys Lapper
Early Life
Alison Lapper was born on 7 April 1965 in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. She was born without arms and with shortened legs, a condition called phocomelia. She was institutionalized in her infancy and is still distant from her relatives. When she was fitted with artificial limbs, she felt that the aim was not to help her, but to make her look less disconcerting to others. She abandoned them, finding life far easier without external aids.
She left Chailey Heritage School, Sussex, at the age of 17 and moved to London. She then attended the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People, in Banstead, Surrey until the age of 19, where she learned to drive. She completed both ‘O’ and ‘A’-levels in art at Sutton College of Learning for Adults, before pre-foundation and foundation courses at Heatherley School of Fine Art. Lapper then moved to Brighton and studied in the Faculty of Art and Architecture at the University of Brighton, graduating with a first-class honours degree in Fine Art in 1994.
Alison Lapper Age, Height, Weight, Nationality and Net Worth
Real Name
Alison Lapper
Nick Name
Alison
Date Of Birth
April 7, 1965
Age
57 years old
Birthplace
Trent, Staffordshire
Nationality
British
Profession
Artist, Photographer
Height
3 feet 5 inches
Weight
40 kg
Hair Color
Blonde
Eye color
Blue
Net Worth
$1 million
Career
Lapper uses photography, digital imaging, and painting to, as she says, question physical normality and beauty, using herself as a subject. She is a member of the Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists of the World (AMFPA), having joined as a student member and receiving full membership after her college graduation. One particular influence is the sculpture Venus de Milo, due to the physical similarities between the idealized classical female statue and Lapper’s own body. She has taken part in various British exhibitions, including in the Royal Festival Hall. In May 2003, Lapper was awarded an MBE for her services to art.
After she had given birth to her son Parys in 2000, she created an installation of photographs of herself with him. Lapper and her son featured on the BBC television documentary Child of Our Time. In 2006, she published her book My Life in My Hands.
Marc Quinn Sculpture
Lapper was the subject of Marc Quinn’s sculpture, Alison Lapper Pregnant. Initially, she refused to pose for him, unsure of the manner in which he intended to depict disability. She wanted to be sure his perspective was not one of pity. Quinn observed that ancient statues whose limbs had fallen off were now often highly regarded. His aim was to create equally beautiful representations of bodies born naturally in that way. When he phoned again a few months later, Lapper informed him she was now seven months pregnant. His reply was, “That’s even better!” In November 1999, Lapper went to Quinn’s studio to have a cast made.
Personal Life
Event
Details
Son’s Death
Parys Lapper, son of Alison Lapper, died suddenly from a suspected accidental drug overdose in August 2019, aged 19. His mother stated that he had been bullied at school over her disability, leading to his being sectioned for mental health problems at the age of 17.
About Alison Lapper Biography
Alison Lapper MBE is a British artist. She is the subject of the sculpture Alison Lapper Pregnant, which was displayed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square from September 2005 until late 2007. She and her late son Parys featured in the BBC docuseries Child of Our Time.
Born: 7 April 1965 (age 59 years), Burton upon Trent, United Kingdom
Children: Parys Lapper
Education: Chailey Heritage School; Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People
Title
Details
London Vénus: Une vie d’Alison Lapper
An unauthorized biography of Alison Lapper in comic-book form, published in France in 2022. Written by Yaneck Chareyre and drawn by Mathieu Bertrand, it covers Lapper’s life from her birth to the funeral of her son Parys Lapper.
Alison Lapper Summary
Alison Lapper, born on April 7, 1965, in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, is a British artist known for her sculpture “Alison Lapper Pregnant,” displayed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square from 2005 to 2007. Born with phocomelia, she chose to abandon prosthetic limbs as a child, finding life easier without them. Lapper, who graduated with a first-class degree in Fine Art from the University of Brighton, has received an MBE and an honorary doctorate for her contributions to art. Her personal life includes the tragic death of her son Parys in 2019, who struggled with mental health issues linked to bullying over her disability.
