Peter Lyssiotis came to Australia from Cyprus aged six. After completing his secondary education he studied at La Trobe University, graduating in 1969 with a B.A. (Hons) and in 1973 graduated from Rusden College with a Diploma in Education. He has worked as a fulltime secondary school teacher, teaching English and Social Studies at Brunswick Technical School and Syndal Technical School.
A writer and visual artist, Lyssiotis's work is based largely on the concept of photomontage, combining image and text. He has exhibited extensively in Australia and internationally in many galleries and his work is included in the National Gallery of Australia, in all state gallery collections, as well as being represented in numerous international collections including the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris) and the Library of the Tate Gallery (London).
In 1981 Lyssiotis was awarded a grant by the Australian Film Board to make the film The Occupant, which was screened at the Melbourne Film Festival in 1985 and the St Kilda Film Festival in 1987. He has been a member of the editorial board of Chronico since its inception in 1980 and he was the recipient of the inaugural State Library of Victoria Creative Fellowships in 2003-04.
A collaboration writer Anna Couani, The Harbour Breathes (1989), was shortlisted in the New Writing section of the 1990 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards and was described by Anna Couani as 'a collaboration, matching texts and images that we had both already made'. Some of Lyssiotis's other works include Industrial Woman (1986) with Vivienne Mehes and Jas Duke and limited edition artist's books such as The Harmed Circle [1992], From The Secret Life of Statues (1994), Desire & The Brush (1996) and The Products of Wealth (1997).
Lyssiotis is also publisher of the small Melbourne-based press Masterthief Enterprises.
