George Fullard was born in Sheffield and studied at the Sheffield College of Arts and Crafts, followed by the Royal College of Art, where he specialized in sculpture. He served in the army during the Second World War where he suffered near fatal injuries. The effect of his wartime experiences is evident in his work; the theme of war explored in a deeply personal way through much of his sculpture. Following the war and his studies, Fullard spent some time in Paris before settling in London. The first major exhibition of his sculpture, entitled Looking at People, was in 1957. Much of his work from this period focused on the human figure, with women in particular being prominent. From 1963 he was Head of Sculpture at Chelsea School of Art and he was elected associate of the Royal Academy in 1973.

Even in his later drawings and assemblages, the influence of Fullard’s wartime experiences is still evident, an example being the series of assemblages made from 1961 to 1964 which are generally considered his most important work. The Serpentine Gallery hosted a memorial exhibition of his work in 1974, the year of his death, which was a major critical success.