Tyrone Smith was born in Hastings, as he liked to mention- in the same year as the moon landing. He died in Auckland in August, 2018. Most of his life he drew and painted. He constructed a kingdom called happyspace & populated it with some highly inventive & happy-making characters such as Peng Peng, Funny Bunny and Bobby Bear. He loved drawing animals, humans, trees & many other things.

In 2020 the British designer Bella Freud asked his family if she could incorporate some of his drawings on her clothes designs. They are so delighted his work is out & about in the world. He is deeply missed wide & far.