William J. O'Brien

William J. O'Brien's idiosyncratic and exuberant forms are born out of an improvised and intuitive studio practice, rich in material experimentation. In his work, O’Brien explores the potential of a diverse range of media including paper, clay, textile, ceramic, steel, found objects and everyday materials. His artistic expression, which is grounded in drawing, reflects a broad range of cultural influences, including ethnography, psychedelia, pop, poetry, geometry and art history. Inspired by Modernism, as well as the history of material usage of Outsider Art, O’Brien’s multidisciplinary practice is a search for identity and genuine expression through material and process.

William J. O'Brien lives and works in Chicago. His works has been shown in numerous solo exhibition, notably at Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, USA (2020); Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, USA (2019) and Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (2014). O'Brien's work has been the subject of several solo shows at major institutions, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (2014); The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Kansas City (2012) and the Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago (2011). O’Brien has received awards from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation (2011) and Artadia: The Fund for Art & Dialogue (2007). His work is included in the permanent collections of the Pérez Art Museum Miami, USA; Miami Art Museum, USA; The Art Institute of Chicago, USA; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, USA and CAHara Museum of Art, Tokyo, Japan, among others.

Work by William J. O'Brien

Doorway

Limited Edition Print
Edition Size: 50
Dimensions: 36 x 52 cm (14.2 x 20.5 in)
Medium: Archival Pigment Print on Hahnemühle German Etching 310 gsm 
Signature: Signed, dated and numbered on front
Published: 2021