Artwork by Peter Beard at Contemporary Art & Design

Peter Beard was an American photographer, artist, author and environmentalist. A charismatic explorer that lived life to the fullest.

He launched to fame in 1965 with his book of stunning collection of safari photographs, ”The End of the Game - The Last Word from Paradise”.

Beard would often draw colorful images around his photos, or cover them in blood - both his own and that of animals. The photograph of Fayel Tall was taken at Hog Ranch, Beards property outside Nairobi in 1987. The drawings that frame this particular photo was made by his daughter Zara.

Peter Beard was born a railroad descendant, thanks to his great-grandfather, who founded the Great Northern Railway. His own father was an accomplished lawyer, and Beard attended all the best schools. Beard’s artistic leanings and fascination with nature became obvious already as a boy. Beard was 17 years old when he first traveled to Africa with Quentin Keynes to work on a film about such rare wildlife as the white and black rhinos of Zululand. But his affinity for Africa was a constant throughout his life and his greatest inspiration was Karen Blixen, the Danish author, who wrote “Out of Africa”.