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WILLIAM J. O’BRIEN
(b. 1975, lives in Chicago, IL)
EDUCATION
2005 MFA, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
1997 BA, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2017 Reliquary, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Louisville, KY
The Protectors, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY
2015 Shane Campbell Gallery, Lincoln Park, Chicago, IL
Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Ferndale, MI
2014 water sounds, Taka Ishii Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
Six Circles : Four Squares, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
The Lovers, Almine Rech Gallery, Paris, France
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, curated by Naomi Beckwith, accompanying monograph, Chicago, IL
2013 Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY
2012 Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, Overland Park, KS
2011 The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Shane Campbell Gallery, Oak Park, IL
2010 Shane Campbell Gallery, Oak Park, IL
2009 Susanne Hilberry Gallery, Detroit, MI
Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY
2007 the axis mundi, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
2006 When Your Heart Is on Fire, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, Locust Projects, Miami, FL
2005 12 x 12, New Artists, New Work, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
A Fairy Tale, curated by Jose Diaz and Nina Arias, Ingalls and Associates, Miami, FL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2016 Chicago & Vicinity, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
Imagine, Brand New Gallery, Milan, Italy
2015 Surrealism: The Conjured Life, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Try again. Fail again. Fail better., Cherry and Martin, Los Angeles, CA
Defying Gravity: Interventions in Clay, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Sun Valley, ID
Soft Core, Invisible-Exports, New York, NY
Organic Sculpture, Alison Jacques Gallery, London, United Kingdom
Small Sculpture, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
2014 Platform, curated by Nicolas Trembley, Almine Rech Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
New Image Painting, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
Thread Lines, The Drawing Center, New York, NY
Art on Paper 2014: The 43rd Exhibition, Weathersoon Art Museum, Greensboro, NC
Kayla Guthrie, William J. O'Brien, Mckeever Donovan, Annabeth Marks, U.S. BLUES, Brooklyn, NY
KILN, curated by Tiffany Zabludowicz, Leila Heller Gallery, New York, NY
2013 DNA: Strands of Abstraction, curated by Paul Sinclaire, Loretta Howard Gallery, New York, NY
2012 Surface in Volume, Luce Gallery, Torino, Italy
Phantom Limb: Approached to Painting Today, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
Someone Puts a Pineapple Together, Acme, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Witte de With, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Painted, curated by Tyson Reeder, The Green Gallery, Milwaukee, WI
Painting... E X P A N D E D, Espacio 1414, Santurce, Puerto Rico
Josh Faught and William J. O’Brien, Lisa Cooley, New York, NY
2010 Drawing, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
The Maginot Line, David Castillo Gallery, Miami, FL
Mystic Visage, World Class Boxing, Miami, FL
At Home/Not Home: Works from the Collection of Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg, CCS Bard, Annandale-
on-Hudson, NY
L’Aur’Amara, Gallery MC, New York, NY
New Icon, Loyola University Museum of Art, Chicago, IL
2009 Selected Works from the MCA Collection, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL
An Expanded Field of Possibilities, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
Reskilling, Western Front Exhibitions, Vancouver, Canada
2008 Now You See It, Aspen Art Museum, Aspen, CO
Sara Barker, Patrick Hill, Matthew Monahan, William J. O’Brien, Sterling Ruby, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Gallery 2,
New York, NY
Andy Coolquitt, Frank Haines, William J. O’Brien, Krinzinger Projekte, Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna, Austria
Jesuvian Process, Elizabeth Dee, New York, NY
2007 William J. O’Brien/Anthony Pearson, Project Space, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York, NY
Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic, Gladstone Gallery, New York, NY
Sonotube® Forms: Contemporary Art and Transport, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Santa Barbara, CA
Jesse Chapman, Aliza Nisenbaum, William J. O’Brien, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
So Wrong, I’m Right, Blum & Poe, Los Angeles, CA
Stuff: International Contemporary Art from the Collection of Burt Aaron, Museum of Contemporary Art, Detroit, MI
2006 Modern Primitivism, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago, IL
Josh Mannis, Eric Lebofsky, William J. O’Brien, Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL
MIXART, The James Hotel, Chicago, IL
Pathetisize, curated by Alex May, Open End Gallery, Chicago, IL
Champagne, curated by Jose Diaz, Nina Menocal Projects, Mexico City, Mexico
Cluster, curated by Katie Holten, Participant, Inc, New York, NY
2005 Certain People I Know, curated by Tommy Everett, Margaret Thatcher Projects, New York, NY
We Created a Monster, curated by Frederick Janka, Nina Menocal Projects for Art Basel, Miami, FL
CoDependent, curated by Gean Moreno, The Living Room for Art Basel, Miami, FL
Winter Group Show, curated by Steph Pavone, Booster and Seven, Chicago, IL
Eagle Hand’s Moon and The Orange Savior, The Church of the Friendly Ghost, Austin, TX
Summer Group Show, curated by Steph Pavone, Contemporary Art Workshop, Chicago, IL
Bilingual, curated by Tracy Taylor, Ukranian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, IL
Drawn Out, curated by Tracy Taylor, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Chicago, IL
In Print2, Diamonds on Archer, Chicago, IL
Macerate, curated by Currency Exchange, Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, IL
M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 2, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Stygine’s Creek, Video Screening curated by Ruba Katrib, Three-Walls Gallery, Chicago, IL
Take My Hand, curated by Ruba Katrib (Traveling), Nina Menocal Gallery, Mexico City, Mexico
Appropriating Feminist Strategies, Gallery 1926, Chicago, IL
Take My Hand, curated by Ruba Katrib, Three-Walls Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004 Night of 1,000 Drawings, Artist Space, New York, NY
Click Formation, Open End Gallery, Chicago, IL
The Pilot Conference, Symbology Bathroom, Chicago, IL
The Affair, Jupiter Hotel, The Fresh-Up Club, Portland, OR
Identity Crisis, Marshall Arts @ Delta Axis, Memphis, TN
Art Poster Show, Objex Artspace, Miami, FL
G2 Group Show, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Abracadabra, Rocket Projects, Miami, FL
3 on 3, 3 Straight Artists Curate 3 Gay Artists, Higher Gallery, Chicago, IL
Eric Lebofsky, Josh Mannis, William O’Brien, 1/Quarterly Space, Chicago, IL
Art Mule, The Stray Show, Chicago, IL
Small Victories, Modest Contemporary Art Projects, Chicago, IL
2003 La Superrette, Deitch Projects, Participant, Inc., New York, NY
100% Cotton, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland
White Haute, Shaff Gallery, Chicago, IL
2001 Annual Members Show, Greenwich House Pottery, New York, NY
Out and About, Benefit Invitation Group Show, SPACES Gallery, Cleveland, OH
1997 Undergraduate Thesis Show, Crown Center Gallery, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2017 Yanoviak, Eileen. “Art Review: William O’Brien at KMAC in Louisville.” Burnaway, Mar. 20, 2017.
Keel, Eli. “The evokeative and varied works of William J. O’Brien are now at KMAC.” Insider Louisville, Jan. 29, 2017.
Kramer, Elizabeth. “KMAC show with work by upcoming Chicago artist.” Courier-journal, Jan. 12, 2017.
2015 Mayer, Rus. “An L.A. Exhibition Explores The Unpredictable Nature of Ceramics.” Architectural Digest, August,
2015.
Whalen, Danielle. “25 Most Collectible Midcareer Artists: William J. O’Brien.” Art+Auction, Sept. 23, 2015.
2014 Myers, Terry R. “William J. O’Brien.” The Brooklyn Rail, April 2, 2014.
Zevitas, Steven. “Must See Painting Shows: March 2014.” Huffington Post, March 4, 2014.
Klein, Paul. “O’Brien as Other.” Huffington Post, February 28, 2014.
Foumberg, Jason and Tomi Obaro. “Chicago’s 23 Best Museum Exhibits.” Chicago Magazine, February 27, 2014.
Zarley, B. David. “William J. O’Brien/Museum of Contemporary Art.” Newcity Art, February 2014.
Waxman, Lori. “Compare and contrast: Ceramics at the MCA.” Chicago Tribune, February 6, 2014.
Lacy, Jamilee Polson. “The Maker: William J. O’Brien.” Art in America, January 24, 2014.
Grabner, Michelle. “William J. O’Brien, Curated by Naomi Beckwith – Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.”
Artforum, January 2014: 114.
Eichinger, Elle. “Chicago’s William J. O’Brien Shows Multimedia Pieces at the MCA.” Michigan Avenue, January
2014.
Mathis, Meg. “Art Luminaries Share a Vegetarian Lunch at Mana Food Bar.” Michigan Avenue, January 2014.
Yood, James. “William J. O’Brien Transforms Artisanal Crafts into Abstract Art.” Architectural Digest, January
2014.
Mercurio, Frank. “William J. O’Brien at the MCA.” Chicago Gallery News, January 1, 2014.
Goldstein, Andrew M. "Q&A: Dealer Marianne Boesky on Remaking Her Gallery, and Learning From the Last Art-
Market Crash." Artspace, May 3, 2014.
Halperin, Julia. “Perfectly unfashionable to be fashionable again.” The Art Newspaper, June 18, 2014.
Pocaro, Alan. "Review: New Image Painting/Shane Campbell Gallery." Newcity Art, September 13, 2014.
“Art 50 2014: Chicago’s Artists’ Artists.” Newcity Art, September 18, 2014.
Abramovitch, Ingrid. “House Tour: A Pair of Fashion Mavens’ Wildly Creative NYC Duplex.” Elle Decor, October
2014: pp. 190-197.
Pini, Gary. "7 Must-See NYC Art Shows Opening This Week." Paper Magazine, November 12, 2014.
2013 "Things We Like - Hitlist." Blouinartinfo.com/Modern Painters, May 2013: 39.
2011 Vogel, Sabine B. “William J. O’Brien,” Artforum, May 2011: 138.
Bailey, Stéphanie. "A Reaction to Globalised Production." Aesthetica, April/May 2011.
O'Toole, Sean. "Making is Thinking." Frieze, May 2011.
Foumberg, Jason. "Review: William J. O'Brien/Renaissance Society." New City, May 30, 2011: Art Section.
2010 Higgs, Matthew. At Home/not at Home: Works from the Collection of Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg. Annandale-
on-Hudson: Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, 2010.
Rondeau, James. “Emerging Artists,” Frieze, January 2010.
Grabner, Michelle. "'New Icon.'" Artforum.com, July 21, 2010.
2009 Smith, Roberta. “Make Room for Video Performance and Paint,” The New York Times, December 31, 2009.
2008 Jacobson, Heidi Zuckerman. "Now You See It: Paintings That Demand a Second Look." Aspen Magazine, Holiday
2008-09.
Oksenhorn, Stewart. "'Blindness Isn't an Option.'" Aspen Times, December 18, 2008: Entertainment section.
Jacobson, Heidi Zuckerman, Peter Eleey, Jeremy Sigler, George Stranahan, and Paul Valery. Now You See It.
Aspen: Aspen Art Press, 2008.
Taft, Catherine. "'Base: Object,’ Andrea Rosen Gallery." Artforum.com, November 20, 2008.
Dault, Julia. "Akimblog: New York City." Akimbo.com, November 19, 2008.
"'Base: Object" Exhibition," NYArtBeat.com, October 25, 2008.
Vogel, Sabine B. "Andy Coolquitt, Frank Haines, William J. O'Brien: Krinzinger Projekte," Artforum.com, May 5,
2008.
Tranberg, Dan. "Review: 'Out of Sight' at Front Room Gallery, Cleveland," Beautiful/Decay, April 29, 2008.
Reilly, Brittany. “Breakout Artists: Chicago’s Next Generation of Image Makers.” New City Chicago, April 24, 2008:
Arts section.
Seckler, Judy. "Review: Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic," Ceramics Monthly April, 2008: 24-26.
Grabner, Michelle. "Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic." X-Tra 10, No. 3 (2008): 54.
Sonnenborn, Katie. "Makers and Modellers." Frieze 113 (2008): 182.
2007 Yood, James. “William J. O’Brien: Shane Campbell Gallery.” Artforum XLVI, No. 4 (2007): 360.
Darwent, Charles. "Reviews: Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic." Crafts Magazine for Contemporary Art,
November/December (2007): 68.
Smith, Roberta. "Museum and Gallery Listings: 'Makers and Modelers: Works in Ceramic’," The New York Times,
September 28, 2007: Art & Design section.
Fry, Naomi. “’Makers and Modelers, Gladstone Gallery’.” Artforum.com, September 10, 2007.
Smith, Roberta. “It’s Just Clay, but How About a Little Respect?” The New York Times, September 7, 2007:
Weekend Arts, Fine Arts/Leisure section.
2006 Weinberg, Lauren. “Lebofsky, Mannis, and O’Brien.” Time Out Chicago, June 29-July 6, 2006.
“Dan Devening Editions, William J. O’Brien.” Chicago Social, May 2006.
“Dan Devening Editions at Art Chicago: William J. O’Brien.” Time Out Chicago, May 2006.
Moreno, Gean. “William J. O’Brien.” Art Papers, March/April, 2006.
2005 Tyson, Josh. “Group Show: Booster and Seven.” Time Out Chicago, December 15-29, 2005.
Rosenfeld, Kathryn. “The Inner Light, Absurdity and the Tactics of Perversion: William J. O’Brien.” CAC Chicago
Artists’ News, December 2005.
Heidemann, Jason A. “Out on the Town…Taking in Queer Culture.” Time Out Chicago, October 20-27, 2005.
Davis, Andrew. “Gay Artist Featured at MCA.” Windy City Times, October 2005.
Pesanti, Heather. Macerate Catalogue Essay, May 2005.
Nusser, Madeline. “Macerate.” Time Out Chicago, June 16-23, 2005.
Hawkins, Margaret. “Take My Hand.” Chicago Sun-Times, February 4, 2005: Weekend section.
“Gay Broken Hearts.” Genre Magazine, September 2005.
“Girls, Boys, Pop Music.” Teen Vogue, December/January 2005.
AWARDS
Recipient of Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award, 2011
Artadia: The Fund for Art & Dialogue, 2007 Chicago Finalist, Grant Recipient
Vermont Studio Center, Full Fellowship Residency
Mellon Award, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
Miami Art Museum, Miami, FL
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago, IL