Raised and educated in Purbeck, in south England,
Ilay Cooper graduated from London
University in 1966. Between study, teaching and working in a quarry, he
travelled widely in Asia, spending some thirteen years in India, mostly based
in Churu, Rajasthan. His initial nine journeys between England and India were
overland, by hitchhiking and buses, culminating in a motorcycle journey from
Churu to Purbeck in 2000. His research in Shekhawati was funded by quarry work
in England and photo-journalism in India. After documenting Shekhawati’s
buildings, he listed those of Diu also for INTACH. These projects were followed
by a series of scholarships to study wall paintings in India and Pakistan. He
has written many published articles for Indian and British periodicals, five
published academic papers and five books. He has also lectured widely on South
Asian murals in India, Pakistan and the UK.