John Pearson (b.1940, Yorkshire) attended the Royal Academy Schools in London, plus the Akademie der Bildenden Kunst (Academy of Fine Arts) in Munich. He has taught at the University of New Mexico, the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design, and the Cleveland Institute of Art. He taught at Oberlin College from 1972 onwards, becoming the Young-Hunter professor of studio art. He retired from Oberlin in 2014.

Pearson used mathematical systems and computer programs to generate hard-edged geometric compositions. His early style was informed by a rational and systematic approach to art and was influenced by Constructivism. His art investigates grid and colour systems, often using restricted colour schemes and limited geometrical shapes (e.g. the 'Mondrian Series'). He also transfers his two dimensional work into three dimensional sculpture experiments. From the 1990s onwards Pearson stopped using the computer for his art and has been more interested in natural phenomena, especially after having travelled to Japan ('Japan Passage Series').