Ian Falconer Obituary

Ian Falconer was an American children’s book author and illustrator, as well as a theatre set and costume designer. Ian Falconer died on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, at the age of sixty-three, after a brief illness.

Falconer was born in Ridgefield, Connecticut, on August 25, 1969. He studied art history at New York University for two years before enrolling as a painter at Parsons School of Design.

He enrolled at the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and began assisting artist David Hockney with his stage opera designs.

Falconer was active in the world of theatre design. Falconer designed sets and costumes for ballet and opera companies all over the world, including numerous New York City Ballet productions.

In addition, he designed 30 magazine covers for The New Yorker and other publications. Falconer created the Olivia series of children’s books, which chronicled the adventures of a young pig, as a Christmas present for his young niece.

In 2022, he released “Two Dogs,” a new children’s book. Last year, he told NPR that the characters, a pair of dachshunds named Perry and Augie, were inspired by his nephews.