Most every Australian is familiar with the name Darryn Lyons; a powerhouse businessman, public figure, and entrepreneur, Darryn has built a career on his grit, his determination, and – of course – his passion for photography.
Darryn Lyons got his start at Geelong newspaper when he was 17, working as a photographer. His work earned him the distinction of being the first local photographer to earn the prestigious ‘Best Cadet’ title at the national Press awards. He later began working at the Daily Mail, out of London, where he covered revolutions in Romania and Czechoslovakia, the war in Sarajevo, and the monumental fall of the Berlin Wall. His coverage earned him the coveted Best News Photographer and Press Photographer awards.
While working with the Daily Mail, Darryn Lyons created his first business from his North London flat in 1992 and called it Big Pictures. To this day, building the company on his own at such a young age is the accomplishment that he is most proud of. Over the next several years, Darryn would leave the Daily Mail to focus on Big Pictures full time and grow the business turnover from £300,000 to £1,000,000 in his first year.
At the same time in his career, Darryn Lyons was working to establish a number of successful brands, including clothing labels, private luxury transportation companies, nightclubs, and a television production company, to name a few. In 2004, he was named to the Business Review Weekly’s Young Rich List, the list of Australia’s most wealthy self-made individuals. That same year, his hard work and diligence saw him recognized as a finalist in the UK Entrepreneur of the Year award.
The greatest risk Darryn ever took was backing himself in terms of starting a business. He understands that without taking the risk of experiencing failure, he would never have succeeded in the first place. Darryn finds working on a tough challenge to be very stimulating and is always on to the next project.
In one of his more recent groundbreaking ventures, Darryn Lyons founded the Lyons Gallery in 2018, specialising in Fine Art and Pop Art Photography from some of the most contemporary artists, prestigious visionaries, and collected photographers around the globe.
Among the artists represented at the Lyons Gallery are Andy Worhol, Terry O’Neill, Banksy, Chris Cuffaro, E$cobar, Mr. Brainwash, Amanda Johnstone, Margott Laffon, J. Leo, James Lewin, Patrick Lichfield, Frank Worth, Bert Stern, Nick Veasy, Ellen von Unwerth, Philippe Shangti, Tyler Shields, Playboy, Björn Persson, Norman Parkinson, Lord Snowden, Helmut, David Morico, Jamie Nelson, Sebastian Magnani, and Slim Aarons, among multiple others. Darryn Lyons also works closely with celebrity buyers and art collectors to help them acquire pieces that have caught their attention. His clients include international names such as Sharon Stone, with whom the gallery recently partnered.
Darryn loves people and he loves visual art- combining the two has been a dream come true for him. He is passionate about providing people with the opportunity to learn more, become active in the art community, and invest money in fine art. Thanks to his flourishing career, Darryn has had the ability to meet a multitude of interesting people from all walks of life and he thoroughly enjoys surrounding himself with highly motivated, intelligent people.
The Lyons Gallery – under the supervision of Darryn Lyons – has recently begun moving into the digital realm by offering NFTs available on OpenSea. With the inability to be replaced, NFTs are offering an incredible way for artists to showcase their work and reach new collectors.
