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Brian Conery
Brian has a BA in Painting from CSU Chico, where he grew up, identifying as an artist from an early age. He began painting at 12 and was selling his work by age 15. He also spent a year studying illustration at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He is a visual artist based in Richmond, CA, where he both lives and works. He also worked in design for many years, including all aspects of graphic and digital product design. Brian has shown around the Bay Area, including Southern Exposure, SF Art Commission and Pro Arts galleries, the Wall Gallery in Oakland, and most recently he participated in group shows at Bass & Reiner, the Berkeley Art Center, Richmond Art Center, and Slate Contemporary. Shows beyond the Bay Area have been at college galleries in California and Oregon, as well as internationally in Russia as part of a cultural exchange and a collaboration grant with the global art group AES+F in St. Petersburg. In 2013, he was selected for the Banff Centre Artist in Residence program.
Most recently Brian participated in a residency at the Fish Factory in Iceland in June 2025. He was one of the founders and co-directors of VAR [Visual Artists of Richmond] and the Richmond Open Studios, now in its 4th year establishing a Richmond only opportunity for artists to share their work with the community in their own studios or at one of several venues. As part of ROS every artist has the chance to participate in an exhibition at the Richmond Art Center.
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MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST
Category: Mixed Media; Painter; Photographer; Sculptor; Visual Artist
Artist Statement
Please provide a brief description of your creative process, motivations, and inspirations:
Brian’s practice is rooted in a multidisciplinary approach to making within the pursuit of a dialog between humans and nature. Questions around what is ‘matter’ and the fundamental architectures of materiality drive these investigations. This direction began in earnest with his 2019 solo installation ‘Atlas’. Beginning with interventions in nature using specific found books of various topics, attaching them to trees or embedding them in environments, even burying several for a period of time, all with the futile and humorous intent of ‘sharing’ with nature. Building on the exploration of core forms taken from geological and crystallography design he has been creating a series of paintings and works on paper. Brian is a life long rock collector and they always find their way into the work.
Brian sees art making as alchemy, imbued with mystery and a language of its own where ultimately words fail. Many sources contribute to his attempts at making sense of deep connections combined with the formal nature of the visual world.