Brian Donnelly (artist)

Brian Donnelly born in St. Catharines, Ontario, (June 7, 1979) is a Toronto-based, contemporary figurative painter whose works have been featured in exhibitions throughout Canada, as well as in Australia, France, Luxembourg, and the United States. His work has also been featured in art-related publications such as Juxtapoz Magazine and ION Magazine.

Education
Donnelly has resided in Toronto since 1999. He graduated from OCAD University's Painting program in 2003, and has been creating works ever since.

Work
Donnelly’s primary medium is oil paint, and common imagery within his work includes the heads and faces of animals juxtaposed with naturalistic and often nude human figures. Working mainly from photographic reference, he has adopted Adobe Photoshop as part of his preparatory layout process.

Taking cues from books such as The Island of Doctor Moreau and Frankenstein, Donnelly has developed his work into an expression of egotism by becoming a fierce and unforgiving editor, the antagonist of his creations. By and large Donnelly's work examines the process of its own creation, using duality and contradiction as visual triggers.