Painter, sculptor, draughtsman, illustrator and teacher, born in London. Studied in Belfast and London and settled in Belfast. Piper taught for a while in Dungannon, Northern Ireland, at the Royal School. He showed with CEMA in Belfast, where he lived, also at RWS, RHA and at Belfast Museum and Art Gallery which holds his work. In 1950 he was awarded a CEMA Travelling Scholarship. Piper, who later divided his time between Belfast and London, was keenly interested in natural history and did illustrations for books and magazines on it, also on Ireland. An exhibition of flower drawings was held at the Ulster Museum, which holds his work, in 1975, the year after he was awarded the John Lindley Medal of the Royal Horticultural Society for his illustrations of Irish orchids.