Dean O'Brien
@obrien.dean
Dean O’Brien (born Papua New Guinea 1961) began exhibiting while he was the creative director for an investment bank. Two successful exhibitions in Potts Point gave him the impetus to further pursue his art studies.
His work primarily expresses the notion of memories or experiences being passed from generation to generation in our DNA. He believes that thoughts or moments from our ancestors are embedded within our being in readiness for the right stimuli (place or situation) to bring them to our consciousness, hanging in the air like particles. By portraying his ancestors stories in his artwork, he creates new memories where the past and present fuse together. In effect, he is endeavouring to capture something that is in his periphery vision.
He works primarily with oil on canvas and his style is ambiguously figurative with strong composition and a soft focus. His paintings have a sense of intrigue, that may conjure up emotions or memories, allowing the viewer to make their own connections.
View the work: Building 24 Level 1, Ground Floor Gallery
