Bryan Pearce was born in St. Ives in 1929; and has lived all his life there. His mother was an accomplished artist and encouraged Pearce to take up painting first as a hobby and then professionally, further encouraged by other St. Ives artists. Pearce was born with a rare genetic condition which has affected his ability to communicate with other people. Subsequently, his paintings have been the conduit through which he speaks to us. Pearce started painting in watercolour and then oils, but as his work became more and more popular, he was encouraged to additionally use Contés as they were less time consuming.

Bryan Pearce holds a unique vision of the world which is uninfluenced by other artists. He is, however, linked with the naïve and primitive schools of painting. His subjects are mainly still-lifes and landscapes, as well as occasionally painting portraits and locations that he has seen on his travels outside the county.

Pearce joined the Penwith Society in 1957 and joined the Newlyn Society two years later. He has showed regularly in Cornwall; and in 1995 the RWA held a retrospective of his work. The Arts Council amongst other significant bodies hold his work.