Ian Light-Maka (1997) is a self-taught artist creating expressive figurative oil paintings, drawings in ink and charcoal, monotypes and prints about human emotions and relationships. His work is developed through an iterative process, working from initial sketches from life and art historical references, in order to explore distinct aspects of the emotional resonance of figurative images. His work often directly acts as a mirror to his scientific research on the evolutionary history of disease, which uses as a starting point ancient human and animal remains; therefore, the tension between researcher and subject, practitioner and patient, observer and observed are essential aspects of his practice.

He lives and works in Berlin, Germany where he keeps a studio. During his time in Wellfleet, MA each year, his practice shifts to responding to the natural landscapes and artistic traditions found on the Outer Cape.