John Isaacs was born in Lancaster, UK in 1968 and studied at L’Ecole des Beaux Artes, Dijon in 1990; completed a BA in fine art at Cheltenham Art College in 1991, and an MA in sculpture at London Slade School of Art in 1993.

He has exhibited extensively on an international level. Exhibitions include Wonderful Life, Lisson Gallery, London, 1993; Young British Artists 6, Saatchi Gallery, London, 1996; Spectacular Bodies, Hayward Gallery, London, 2000; Century City, Tate Modern, 2001; Minimal Maximal, Kyoto National Museum of Art, Japan, 2001; Voices from the ID, Beaconsfield, London, 2002; Mike Kelley - The Uncanny, Tate Liverpool, 2004; Les Grandes Spectacles, Museum der Moderne, Salzburg, 2005; Murdeme Collection, Serpentine Gallery, London, 2006-2007; Mythologies, Haunch of Venison, London, 2009; Distortion, Venice Biennale, Gervasuti Foundation, Venice, 2009; Rude Britannia, Tate Britain, London. Isaacs was guest lecturer at The Getty Foundation Los Angeles in 2005.