Paul Peter Piech (1920–1996) was a Brooklyn-born artist, printer, and political campaigner whose work fused bold graphic design with radical conviction. The son of Ukrainian immigrants, he trained at the Cooper Union in New York and later at Chelsea School of Art in London. After wartime service with the US Army Air Force, Piech settled in Britain, working in advertising before turning decisively toward independent printmaking.
In 1959 he founded The Taurus Press, producing uncompromising books and prints that broke typographic conventions and championed pacifism, civil rights, and social justice. Using stark linocuts, woodcuts, and explosive colour, Piech paired powerful imagery with the words of figures such as Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, and Desmond Tutu. His work tackled American politics, apartheid, world peace, and Welsh identity with equal force.
Piech’s original work is held by major collections including the V&A and the Library of Congress, securing his legacy as one of the most politically driven printmakers of the 20th century