William J. O’Brien
1431 W. Fry St. Apt. Rear • Chicago, IL • 60642 • 646.271.0844
EXHIBITIONS:
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
2023
Chicago, Ackerman Clarke, Bowls Crucibles, Receptacles, June 24 – August 26, 2023
Chicago, The Collection at Fashion Outlets of Chicago, Healing Machines, December 12, 2023 –
June 1, 2024
Chicago, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Earth, Water, Fire, Wind & Space, June 28 – October 1, 2023
2020
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Safety Blankets. Fetish Objects. (Online), March 26 – April 5, 2020
2019
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, transitional objects, August 3 – 31, 2019
Atlanta, GA, Atlanta Contemporary, Shame Spiral, May 9 – August 4, 2019
2018
Madison, WI, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Reliquary, August 18 – November 11, 2018
2017
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, Reliquary, December 17, 2017 – February 4, 2018
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Sorrowful Mysteries, January 5 – February 4, 2017
Louisville, KY, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Oscillates Wildly, January 21, – April 9, 2017
2015
Chicago, IL, Shane Campbell Gallery, William J. O’Brien, December 10, 2015 – January 2, 2016
Ferndale, MI, Susanne Hilberry Gallery, William J. O’Brien, March 21 – May 9, 2015
2014
Tokyo, Taka Ishi Gallery, William J. O’Brien: Water Sounds, April 26 – May 17, 2014
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, Six Circles : Four Squares, March 15 – April 26, 2014
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art, curated by Naomi Beckwith, accompanying monograph, January 25 – May 4, 2014
Paris, Almine Rech Gallery, The Lovers, January 9th – February 15, 2014
2013
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Wet ‘N Wild, February 23 – March 23, 2013
2012
Overland Park, KS, The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art, May 25 – September 2, 2012
2011
Cleveland, Ohio, SHAHEEN Modern and Contemporary Art, Works on Paper, September 24 – November 4, 2011
Chicago, The Renaissance Society at The University of Chicago, May 2011
2010
Oak Park, IL, Shane Campbell Gallery, November 14, 2010 – January 16, 2011
2009
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, November 20, 2009 – January 10, 2010
Detroit, Susanne Hilberry Gallery, September 12 – October 31, 2009
2008
Miami, World Class Boxing, Death Rattle, February – April 2008
2007
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, the axis mundi, September 1 – September 29, 2007
2006
Miami, Locust Projects, When Your Heart Is on Fire, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, May 6 – June 11, 2006
2005
Miami, Ingalls and Associates, A Fairy Tale, curated by Jose Diaz and Nina Arias, October 15 – November 19, 2005
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art 12 x 12, New Artists, New Work, October 8 –30, 2005
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
2023
Chicago, DePaul Art Museum, Life Cycles, September 7, 2023 – February 11, 2024
Concord, NH, Outer Space, Duplex Magic (With Matthew Fischer), August 5 – October 22, 2023
Chicago, W. Gallery, By Example, August 5 – September 9, 2023
Tokyo, Taka Ishii Gallery, Food for Thought, September 17 – November 12, 2023
Los Angeles, Leon Benrimon Gallery, The Subject is Ceramic, April 29 – May 26, 2023
New York, Ki Smith Gallery, Clayjà Vu, April 22- May 21, 2023
Chicago, Goldfinch Gallery, Lilac, Moonbeam, and Heavenly Blue, January 14 – Februrary 25, 2023
2022
New York, Alison Bradley Projects, FIRE, November 27 – January 7, 2023
Chicago, Hyde Park Art Center, Regarding the Missing Objects, curated by Ruslana Lichtzier, November 13, 2022 – February 29, 2023
Chicago, SAIC Galleries, SAIC Sabbatical Triennial, Curated by Staci Boris, September 9 – December 3, 2022
2021
Tokyo, Japan, Taka Ishii Gallery, YAKIMONO, October 12 – November 7, 2021
Lincoln, MA, deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, The Protectors, July 10, 2021 – TBA
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, A Thought Sublime, June 17 – August 6, 2021
2020
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Long Dream, November 7, 2020 – January 17, 2021
University Park, PA, Hub-Robeson Galleries, Human Expectations II, October 21, 2020 – June 20, 2021
New York, Fort Makers, The Planter Show, September 25 – November 19, 2020
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago, February 29 – September 13, 2020
Chicago, Hans Gallery, Collage, September 19 – October 24, 2020.
2019
Chicago, Chicago Park District, Sculpture in the Parks, October 31, 2019 – October 10, 2021
Tokyo, Japan, Taka Ishii Gallery, Survived!, June 25 – July 27, 2019
Milwaukee, WI, Sculpture Milwaukee, June 7 – October 27, 2019
2018
Alfred, NY, Fosdick-Nelson Gallery at Alfred University, Queering Space, February 2 – March 31, 2018
New York, Museum of Arts and Design, The Burke Prize 2018, October 3, 2018 – March 17, 2019
2017
Tokyo, Japan, Misako & Rosen, Horror Vacui, or The Annihilation of Space, February 19 – March 12, 2017.
2016
Loiusville, KY, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Thread Lines, April 29, 2016 – August 6, 2017
Miami, Art Basel Miami Beach, Public, Curated by Nicholas Baume, December 1 – December 4, 2016
Berlin, Germany, Peres Projects, Wild Style: Exhibition of Figurative Art, June 25 – August 6, 2016
DeKalb, IL, Northern Illinois University, Pattern and Process, curated by Nina Rizzo and Steven Ciampaglia, January 22 – March 3, 2016
2015
Ferndale, MI, Susan Hilberry Gallery, THIRTY NINE YEARS / Memorial for Susan Feld Hilberry, December 12, 2015 – March 12, 2016
Brooklyn, NY, Bannerette Gallery, I Can’t Wait To Get Off Work., curated by Austin Eddy, December 19, 2015 – January 24, 2015
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Surrealism: The Conjured Life, November 21, 2015 – June 5, 2016
Los Angeles, Cherry and Martin, Try Again. Fail Again. Fail Better, August 22 – September 19, 2015
Sun Valley, ID, Sun Valley Center for the Arts, Defying Gravity: Interventions in Clay, July 10 – Sept 18, 2015
New York, Invisible Exports, SOFT CORE, June 19 – July 25, 2015
London, Alison Jacques Gallery, Organic Sculpture, March 27 – May 23, 2015
2014
New York , Leila Heller, KILN, November 12 – December 20, 2014
Brooklyn, NY, U.S. Blues, October 4 – November 9, 2014
Greensboro, NC, Weatherspoon Art Museum, Art on Paper 2014: The 43rd Exhibition, September 27 – December 14, 2014
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, New Image Painting, August 23 – October 4, 2014
Brussels, Almine Rech Gallery, Platform, curated by Nicolas Trembley, June 5 – July 26, 2014
New York, The Drawing Center, Thread Lines, September 18 – December 14, 2014
2013
New York, Loretta Howard Gallery, “DNA: Strands of Abstraction, curated by Paul Sinclaire, June 20- August 2, 2013
2012
Kenosha, WI, The H.F. Johnson Gallery of Art at Carthage College, All Good Things Become Wild and Free, curated by Danny Orendorff, September 11 – November 17, 2012
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Phantom Limb: Approaches to Painting Today, May 5 – October 21, 2012
Los Angeles, Acme, Someone Puts a Pineapple Together, January 7 – February 4, 2012
2011
Milwaukee, WI, The Green Gallery, Painted, curated by Tyson Reeder, December 10, 2011- January 15,
Santurce, Puerto Rico, Espacio 1414, Painting…Expanded, November 4, 2011- July 1, 2012
Cleveland, OH, SHAHEEN Modern and Contemporary Art, Works on Paper, September 24 – November 4, 2011
New York, Lisa Cooley Gallery, Josh Faught and William J. O’Brien, May 8 – June 19, 2011
Rotterdam, Witte de With, January – April, 2011
2010
Miami, David Castillo Gallery, The Maginot Line, December 1, 2010 – January 29, 2011
Chicago, Loyola University Museum of Art, New Icon, June 5 – August 1, 2010
Miami, World Class Boxing space of the Debra and Dennis Scholl Collection, Mystic Visage, June 12 – July 31, 2010, curated by Desiree Cronk
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, Center for Curatorial Studies, Bard College, At Home/Not at Home: Works from the Collection of Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg, June 26 – December 19, 2010
New York, Gallery MC, L’AUR’AMARA, Curated by Bustos Domenech, December 2 – 3, 2010, Travels to
Paris, Générale en Manufacture, April 2011; Milan, Centro Ricerche Accademia di Brera ex Chiesa di S.Carpoforo (CRAB), June – July 2011
2009
New York, Leila Taghinia-Milani Heller Gallery, In Stitches, curated by Beth Rudin DeWoody, November 12 – December 19, 2009
Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Selected Works from the MCA Collection, May 12 – September 20, 2009
Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, An Expanded Field of Possibilities, February 28 – May 24, 2009
2008
Aspen, CO, Aspen Art Museum, Now You See It, December 19, 2008 – February 1, 2009
New York, Andrea Rosen Gallery, Base:Object, October 25 – December 6, 2008
Vienna, Galerie Krinzinger, Andy Coolquitt, Frank Haines, William J. O’Brien
New York, Elizabeth Dee Gallery, Jesuvian Process, January 19 – February 16, 2008
2007
New York, Marianne Boesky Gallery, Project Space, William O’Brien / Anthony Pearson, November 17 – December 8, 2007
New York, Barbara Gladstone Gallery, Makers And Modelers, September 8 – October 13, 2007
Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, Sonotube ® Forms: Contemporary Art and Transport, July 14 – August 26, 2007
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, Jesse Chapman, Aliza Nisenbaum, William J. O’Brien, July 7 – August 4, 2007
Los Angeles, Blum & Poe, So Wrong, I’m Right, June 30 – August 25, 2007
Detroit, Museum of Contemporary Art, Stuff: International Contemporary Art from the Collection of Burt Aaron, May 12 – July 29, 2007
2006
Chicago, Shane Campbell Gallery, Modern Primitivism, September 16 – November 4, 2006
Chicago, Western Exhibitions, Josh Mannis, Eric Lebofsky, William J. O’Brien, June 10 – July 15, 2006
Chicago, The James Hotel, MIXART, 2006
Chicago, Open End Gallery, Pathetisize, curated by Alex May, 2006
Mexico City, Nina Menocal Projects, Champagne, curated by Jose Diaz, 2006
New York, Participant Inc., Cluster, curated by Katie Holten, February 10 – 12
2005
New York, Margaret Thatcher Projects, Certain People I Know
Miami, Nina Menocal Projects for Art Basel, We Created a Monster, curated by Frederick Janka
Miami, The Living Room for Art Basel, CoDependent, curated by Gean Moreno
Chicago, Booster and Seven, Winter Group Show, curated by Steph Pavone
Austin, The Church of the Friendly Ghost, Eagle Hand’s Moon and The Orange Savior
Chicago, Contemporary Art Workshop, Summer Group Show, curated by Steph Pavone
Chicago, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Bilingual, curated by Tracy Taylor
Chicago, Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art, Drawn Out, curated by Tracy Taylor
Chicago, Diamonds on Archer, In Print2
Chicago, Around the Coyote Gallery, Macerate, curated by Currency Exchange
Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition, Gallery 2
Chicago, Three-Walls Gallery, Stygine’s Creek, Video Screening Curated by Ruba Katrib
Mexico City, Nina Menocal Gallery,Take My Hand, Curated by Ruba Katrib (Traveling)
Chicago, Gallery 1926, Appropriating Feminist Strategies
Chicago, Three-Walls Gallery, Take My Hand, Curated by Ruba Katrib
2004
New York, Artist Space, Night of 1,000 Drawings
Chicago, Open End Gallery, Click Formation
Chicago, Symbology Bathroom, The Pilot Conference
Portland, Jupiter Hotel, The Fresh-Up Club, The Affair
Memphis, Marshall Arts @ Delta Axis, Identity Crisis
Miami, Objex Artspace, Art Poster Show
Chicago, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, G2 Group Show
Miami, Rocket Projects, Abracadabra
Chicago, Higher Gallery, 3 on 3, Straight Artists Curate 3 Gay Artists
Chicago, 1/Quarterly Space, Eric Lebofsky, Josh Mannis, William O’Brien
Chicago, The Stray Show, Art Mule
Chicago, Modest Contemporary Art Projects, Small Victories
2003
New York, Deitch Projects, Participant, Inc., La Superrette
Glasgow, Glasgow School of Art, 100% Cotton
Chicago, Shaff Gallery, White Haute
2001
New York, Greenwich House Pottery, Annual Members Show
Cleveland, Benefit Invitation Group Show, SPACES Gallery, Out and About
1997
Chicago, Crown Center Gallery, Loyola University Chicago, Undergraduate Thesis Show
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
2023
Ballogg, Mark. Making Space. Ballogg Photography Inc., 2023. pp. 43, 50-51, 119.
Vizcarrondo-Laboy, Angelik. “The Clayjá Vu of Sasha Feldman and William J. O’Brien,” Clayjá Vu, Ki Smith Gallery, 2023.
2020
Adamson, Glenn. Objects USA: 2020, The Monacelli Press, 2020.
2019
Calobrisi, Amanda Joy. “William J. O’Brien, “Transitional Objects” at Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago,” ADF Webmagazine (August 20, 2019) [online]
Editorial, Burnaway. “Close Look: William J. O’Brien at Atlanta Contemporary,” Burnaway (August 3, 2019) [online]
McIntosh, Monique. “Meet a Chicago creative who creates & deconstructs art,” Luxe Magazine, July 12, 2019
Scholl, Dennis. “’Inside my studio’ with William J. O’Brien,” Cultured Magazine, (June 18, 2018) [online]
2018
Goldstein, Caroline. “William J. O’Brien’s Enchanted Circus Installation Is Packed Full of Dizzying Detail,” Artnet News, (January 18, 2018) [online]
2017
Lilley, Clare. Vitamin C: Clay and Ceramic in Contemporary Art, Phaidon, 2017.
Keel, Eli. “KMAC’s ‘Thread Lines’ exhibit is a conversation between mediums,” Insider Louisville (May 28, 2017) [online]
Yanoviak, Eileen. “William O’Brien at KMAC in Louisville,” Burnaway (March 20, 2017) [online]
Keel, Eli. “The evocative and varied works of William J. O’Brien are now at KMAC,” Insider Louisville (January 29, 2017) [online]
Kramer, Elizabeth. “KMAC show with work by upcoming Chicago artist,” Courier-Journal (January 12, 2017) [online]
2016
Steadman, Ryan. “5 Must-See Booths at the Art Los Angeles Contemporary Fair,” Observer (January 25, 2015) [online]
2015
Brooks, Katherine. “13 Artists You Should Fall In Love With This Spring,” Huffington Post (March 12, 2015)
Bryant, Eric. “25 Most Collectible Midcareer Artists,” Blouin Artinfo (September 1, 2015)
Editorial, Artsy. “11 Booths You Need to See Before The Armory Show Closes,” Artsy, March 6, 2015
Girgenti, Maria. “Portrait of the Artist: William J. O’Brien,” Newcity Art (December 18, 2015) [online]
Guiducci, Mark. “How To See the Armory Show in One Hour Flat,” Vogue, March 5, 2015
“AD Gets a First Look at the 17th Annual Armory Show,” Architectual Digest, March 2015
Editorial, Artsy. “ At The Armory Show, a Fresh-Faced Vernissage with Accessible Price Points,” Artsy, March 5, 2015
Boucher, Brian. “What’s Really Cool at the Armory Show 2015? Brian Boucher Points it Out,” Artnet News, March 6, 2015
Jovanovic, Rozalia. “Rozalia Jovanovic’s Top 10 Booths at the Armory Show 2015,” Artnet News, March 6, 2015
Kirsch, Corinna, “Dealers Report: The 2015 Armory Show is Legit Awesome,” Art F City, March 6, 2015
Boucher, Brian. “The 10 Best Contemporary Artworks at the 2015 Armory Show,” Artnet News” March 5, 2015
Kazakina, Katya. “No Art Fair Lull as One Gallery Sells $1 Million in Three Hours,” Bloomberg,March 5, 2015
“Preview Art Basel Miami Beach: 10 Works By Artists Who Have Altered the Way We Perceive Our World and Ourselves,” Art Dealers Association of America (November 2015) [online]
2014
Getsky, David J. William J. O’Brien Ceramic Heads, Woods Kusaka Studios, 2014.
Beckwith, Naomi. William J. O’Brien. ARTBOOK/D.A.P. and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, 2014.
Milburn, Robert. “Art Advisors: Are They Worth It?,” Barron’s , November 7, 2014
Halperin, Julia. “Perfectly unfashionable to be fashionable again,” The Art Newspaper, June 18, 2014
Dluzen, Robin and James, Damien. “We Went To Chicago: The Horrors of Parenthood, The Strength of Drawings,” ArtFCity, May 19, 2014
Myers, Terry R. “William J. O’Brien,” The Brooklyn Rail, April 2, 2014
Waxman, Lori, “Compare and Contrast: Ceramics at the MCA”, Chicago Tribune, February 7, 2014
Lacy, Jamilee Polson. “The Maker: William J. O’Brien”, Art in America, January 24, 2014
Malooley, Jake. “10 best things to do this week: January 20 -26, 2014”, Time Out Chicago, January 20, 2014
Eichinger, Elle, “Chicago’s William J. O’Brien Shows Multimedia Pieces at the MCA”, Michigan Avenue Magazine, January 15, 2014
Léa Chauvel-Lévy, “William J. O’Brien, The Lovers – Galerie Almine Rech”, Slash-Paris, January 15, 2014
Bryant, Eric. “Artist William J. O’Brien on His Brilliant, Multifaceted Career, Artspace, January 15, 2014
Eler, Alicia, “10 Chicago Art Exhibitions to See This Winter”, Hyperallergic, January 14, 2014
Robin Cembalest, “12 Trends Defining This Season’s Art-Museum Shows”, ArtNews, January 9, 2014
Mercurio, Frank, “William J. O’Brien at the MCA”, Chicago Gallery News, January 2014
Grabner, Michelle. “William J. O’Brien, Curated by Naomi Beckwith – Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago”, ArtForum, January 2014
Mathis, Meg, “The Big Picture”, Michigan Avenue Magazine, January 2014
Yood, James, “William J. O’Brien Transforms Artisanal Crafts into Abstract Art”, Architectural Digest, January 2014
2013
“Things We Like – Hitlist”, Blouinartinfo.com/Modern Painters, May 2013, p. 39.
2011
Tucker, Elizabeth, William J. O’Brien Artforum, May 2011, p. 138
2010
At Home/Not at Home: Works from the Collection of Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg, curated by Matthew Higgs, New York: CCS Bard Hessel Museum, June 26 – December 19, 2010.
Rondeau, James. Emerging Artists, Frieze, January 2010.
2009
Smith, Roberta. Make Room for Video Performance and Paint, The New York Times, December 31, 2009
Trelles, Emma. New Acquisitions add vigorous life to MAM collection, Palm Beach Arts Paper, August 31, 2009
2008
Vogel, Sabine B. Picks: Vienna; Andy Coolquitt, Frank Haines, William J. O’Brien at Krinzinger Projekte, Artforum. May, 2008
2007
Yood, James. William J. O’Brien: Shane Campbell Gallery, Artforum XLVI, No.4, 2007, p. 360
Fry, Naomi. Critics’ Picks, Artforum, October 2, 2007.
Smith, Roberta. It’s Just Clay, but How About a Little Respect?, The New York Times, September 7, 2007.
2006
Moreno, Gean. William J. O’Brien, Art Papers, March/April 2006.
2005
Jason A. Heidemann. Out on the town…taking in queer culture, Time Out Chicago, October 20 – 27, 2005, p. 98.
Gay Broken Hearts. Genre Magazine, September Issue.
Girls, Boys, Pop Music. Teen Vogue, December/January Issue
VISITING ARTIST/LECTURES
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Maryland Institute College of Art
University of Minnesota Department of Art and Art History
Penn State University Department of Art, Anderson Endowed Lecture Series
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Nerman Museum of Contempoary Art, Kansas City, MI
Art Expo Chicago, Artadia & SAIC Lecture Series
Renaissance Society at the University of Chicago
Northwestern University
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Department of Ceramics
Oxbow School of Art, Saugatauk, Michigan
Columbia College
Vermont Studio Center
AWARDS
Illinois Arts Council Artist Fellowship Recipient, 2020
Herp Alpert/Ucross Prize, 2019
Tiffany Foundation Award Recipient, 2012
Artadia: The Fund for Art & Dialogue, 2007 Chicago Finalist, and Grant Recipient
Vermont Studio Center, Full Fellowship Residency
Mellon Award, Loyola University Chicago
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York
Miami Art Museum, Miami, Florida
The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan
The Saatchi Gallery, London, England
Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Illinois
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, California
Pérez Art Museum, Miami, Florida
DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, Illinois
KMAC Museum, Louisville, Kentucky
Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College, Annadale-on-Hudson, NY
deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA
The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, Iowa City, IA