Justin Liam O'Brien
Justin Liam O'Brien
Justin Liam O’Brien (b. 1991 in Flushing, New York) received a BFA in Digital Arts and 3D Animation from Pratt Institute in New York City in 2016.
The profound sensitivity in Justin Liam O'Brien's works manifests through figurative paintings that portray social interactions abounding tactility while evoking sensations of solitude and melancholy. His meticulous craftsmanship, influenced by his background in digital arts and 3D animation, presents soft-edged figures in precisely executed compositions. Drawing from his personal experiences as a queer millennial navigating an era of unparalleled unease, O’Brien crafts narratives that resonate universally. Yet, within the serene surroundings of his compositions, O'Brien's works are charged with tension. Silent moments imbued with pathos that speak of internalised emotions of inadequacy, self-doubt, and powerlessness.
Recent solo and group exhibitions include In the Body Lies the Truth, IOMO Gallery, Bucharest (2026); Spectre, Newchild, Antwerp (2025); Lavender Haze, Marinaro, New York (2025); After Dark, Newchild, Antwerp (2024); All Sunsets Risen, Semiose, Paris (2024, solo); Physical Education, Marinaro, New York (2023, solo); Snakes in the Grass, Newchild, Antwerp (2023); Vespers, Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles (2022, solo); Parallel Universe, Bradley Ertaskiran, Montreal (2022); Dreams, Monya Rowe Gallery, New York (2021, solo); Equal Affections, curated by Edwin Oostmeijer, Grimm Gallery, Amsterdam (2021); Horses?, Chart Gallery, New York (2021); and When Acting As A Wave, Richard Heller Gallery, Los Angeles (2020, solo). His work is held in numerous public and private collections, including ICA Miami and the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Ogunquit, US. The artist lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.