Brennan O’Brien

Created during a residency in the Annapurna region of Nepal, these paintings were made in a trekking lodge high in the mountains. Working only with dry pigments tempered with yolk from local chicken eggs, the delicate nature of the medium allows each pigment to show its character through deliberate, slow marks that rest lightly upon the chalk-gessoed boards.

High altitude Nepal is often characterised anecdotally as somewhat barren, with a subdued palette; but once acclimatised to the atmosphere, a richness imbues the landscape, accentuated by the sheer scale of the mountains, and the minuity one feels. That is how I found tempera to be also. The image slowly unveils itself, each watery mark reinforcing the last - bringing to bear a satin sheen to each small world. 

Brennan O’Brien (they/him), born 1999, is a contemporary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne, Australia. Focused primarily in oil painting across canvas and panels, O’Brien’s work incorporates immersive figurative painting and gestural, intuitive abstraction. Brennan’s most recent works are characterized by their developed, softly glazed textures that draw viewers into a dreamlike, introspective world.

O’Brien’s practice endeavours to explore and deconstruct the softness and fluidity of self-identity, often portraying bodily forms and mass through a surrealist lens. Their paintings invite contemplation, reflecting a surreal yet intimate gaze.

Notable projects include the solo exhibitions The Tremendous Activity of a Boy Sitting Still, Brunswick Street Gallery, Victoria, 2024, and You, as a Train Station, Canberra Contemporary, ACT, 2023, which further explore their fascination with the nuances of human experience and identity.

Brennan O’Brien’s work has been exhibited both commercially and institutionally, with pieces held in private collections. They have participated in significant art events such as the National Emerging Art Prize 2023 and the No Vacancy Annual Show 2024.