Ian Cook studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1968 to 1975, winning the Hutchieson Drawing Prize and completing a postgraduate year in Fine Art. Awarded the Cargill Travelling Scholarship, he developed works inspired by Spanish and North African sources.

 In 1985, a Scottish Arts Council bursary took him to Central Africa, where he produced artworks influenced by indigenous cultures. His passion for exploration continued with a 1993 sojourn in America's North Western States, resulting in a critically acclaimed series exhibited at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.

 In recent years, Ian has travelled to Central and South America and Mexico, integrating Pre-Columbian symbolism and contemporary Latin American culture into his work. He regularly produces figurative and surrealist pieces.

 Ian's accolades include the Winsor and Newton Award (2000), the RI Award (2005), the Fellowship of the Glasgow Art Club (2011), and the House for an Art Lover Award (2015). His work has been exhibited at the Royal Academy, Sunday Times Watercolour Exhibition, and various UK and international galleries. His pieces are in collections such as Trainload Freight, The TSB, The BBC, The Kinsey Institute, Indiana State University, The American Equestrian Association, and the Museum of Slavery in Liverpool.

 Currently, Ian is developing works that incorporate elements from Latin American and Mexican cultures, as well as German and Central European themes.