The art world and public admirers of Alison Lapper have been saddened by the news that the celebrated artist has divorced her husband, Si Clift. The couple, who married in 2019, have now parted ways with no chance of reconciliation, marking another difficult chapter in Lapper's life.
A Life in the Public Eye
Alison Lapper, now 60, was born with the condition phocomelia, which meant she was born without arms and with shortened legs. Her talent and spirit captivated the nation, particularly through the BBC documentary series Child Of Our Time. She was further immortalised in public consciousness when artist Marc Quinn created a marble statue of her while she was pregnant. That powerful sculpture occupied the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square from 2005 to 2007.
Her personal life had appeared to find a happier course when she married long-term partner Si Clift. However, her assistant has now confirmed the marriage is over, stating: 'Alison has asked me to inform you that she is now divorced from Si and has no further comment to make on the matter.'
Heartbreak and Loss
The couple's wedding came just weeks after an appalling personal tragedy. Lapper's beloved son, Parys, was found dead in a Sussex hotel bedroom in 2019 at the age of 19. An inquest concluded he had died from an accidental overdose of heroin and a prescription anti-anxiety drug.
Parys had never known his father, whose identity Lapper has kept private, but he had bonded closely with Si Clift. Clift spoke movingly at the funeral, describing Parys as 'mischievous, generous, kind and loving' and 'a good son'. Lapper had fought tirelessly to raise her son herself, determined to avoid the institutional care she experienced in her own childhood, only to later discover he was bullied at secondary school for having a disabled mother.
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