ABOUT BRIAN
Photo by Matthew Hopkins
Biography
Brian Kenny (born 1982, Heidelberg, Germany) is a NYC-based American multidisciplinary artist and muralist exhibited in galleries, museums, theaters and alternative venues in the US, Canada, Russia, Israel and across Europe. In 2004 Brian began an ongoing collaboration with artist Slava Mogutin as SUPERM, and in 2016 with writer Rich Juzwiak as BOYFRIEND HOUSE. Using an array of mediums including drawing, painting, textile, video and performance, Brian’s artwork is bright and vividly expressionistic; often autobiographical and reflective of his current states of mind which include themes of his queer identity, shifting societal perceptions about gender, sexuality and politics, urban living and free-associative wanderings of thought and creative experimentation.
Brian's commercial and fashion work includes art and design commissions and collaborations with Onitsuka Tiger (Tokyo, Japan), Christian Lacroix (Paris, France), Walter Van Beirendonck (Brussels, Belgium), J. Crew (New York, NY), The Highline Park (New York, NY), M3 Hotels (Geneva, Switzerland), Scruff (New York, NY), Yacine Aouadi (Paris, France), Bruno Magli (Milan, Italy), Please Do Not Enter (Los Angeles, CA), Print All Over Me (New York, NY), The Thomas Cole National Historic Site (Catskill, NY), The Avenue Concept (Providence, RI), Arttittude (Dallas, TX), and Adam's Nest. (Provincetown, MA).
Curriculum Vitae
SOLO SHOWS
2024
SUPERM (as SUPERM), Setareh, Berlin Germany. (upcoming)
2021
I’MMATERIAL, TW Fine Art, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Ty Cooperman. (catalog)
2020
Boyfriend House, Iridian Gallery, Richmond, VA.
2018
Brian Kenny (presented by Galerie Youn (Montreal, Canada)), Zona Maco Contemporary Art Fair: New Proposals, CDMX Mexico City. curated by Humberto Moro. (catalog).
2017
Brian Kenny x Christian Lacroix, Ron Robinson, Los Angeles, CA.
2015
I saw it coming years ago, but never thought it would happen, Peter Bichsel F.B., Zurich, Switzerland; curated by Patrik Schedler.
2014
AMORESUPERM (as SUPERM), La Fresh Gallery, Madrid, Spain.
SUPERM FRUIT (as SUPERM), Please Do Not Enter, Los Angeles.
2013
In the Name of Love (as SUPERM), Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art.
2012
BEAUTY and HELL (as SUPERM), Envoy Enterprises, NYC.
The Hole Truth, Envoy Enterprises, NYC. (catalog)
2011
Interpenetration (as SUPERM), La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa, Canada.
2008
White is Dirty When Ugly (as SUPERM), Envoy Enterprises, NYC.
Targets & Etchings, 5 + 5 Gallery, Brooklyn, NY.
SPUTNIK 3 (as SUPERM + Gio Black Peter) Gallerie S.E, Bergen, Norway.
2007
But Her Majesty’s Roast Beef Curtains Wouldn’t Open For Him (as SUPERM), Blow de la Barra Gallery, London, UK.
SUPERM Toilet #2, White Cubicle Toilet Gallery, George and Dragon Public House, London, UK.
2006
Superm Salon, Fritz Haeg Studio, Los Angeles, CA.
2005
Wiggers (as SUPERM), Galerie Deschler, Berlin.
Wigger (as SUPERM), Regina Gallery, Moscow.
GROUP SHOWS, INSTALLATIONS, FILM FESTIVALS, & ART FAIRS
2024
Gorgeousness, Benrubi Gallery, New York, NY; curated by Richard Renaldi. (upcoming).
I’ll Be Your Mirror, Detroit Artists Market & Anton Art Center, part of the Might Real/Queer Detroit Biennial, Detroit, Michigan; curated by Patrick Burton. (upcoming).
2023
Let’s Get Physical, TW Fine Art, Palm Beach, FL; curated by Mike DePaola and Sienna Berritto.
2022
Gay Propaganda, Tom of Finland Foundation. Arts & Culture Festival, London; curated by Slava Mogutin
Rewind & Unravel, Bertrand Productions, Philadelphia; curated by Stacey Lee Webber.
Patriot, O’Flaherty’s, NYC; curated by all the participating artists.
2021
Caught Up in a Lockdown Art Affair , TW Fine art`, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Mike DePaola, Ty Cooperman and Sienna Berritto.
Saturday, in the Park, TW Fine Art, Palm Beach, FL; curated by Mike DePaola, Ty Cooperman and Sienna Berritto
DEVOUT UNORTHODOX, TW Fine Art, Palm Beach, FL; curated by Mike DePaola, Ty Cooperman and Sienna Berritto.
2020
LOVE MY WAY 2, Villa Noailles, Hyères, France; curated by Jean-Pierre Blanc and Thomas Lequeu.
HEROES / HEROINES, Villa Noailles, Hyères, France; curated by Jean-Pierre Blanc.
2019
Queer & Peculiar Craft, Clemente Abrazo Gallery, NYC; curated by Andrew Robinson.
Boyz Keep Swingin’, Keyes Gallery and The American Hotel, Sag Harbor, NY; curated by Maynard Monrow.
WERQ, Cluster gallery, NYC; curated by Todd Coulter. (Commissioned free-hand mural).
Pried, The Society of Art + Crafts, Boston, MA; curated by Izzy Berdan and Dave Bermingham.
LOVE MY WAY, The 34th International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Fashion Accessories, Villa Romaine, Hyères, France; curated by Jean-Pierre Blanc, and Pau Avia.
BUD, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Watertower Theatre, Dallas, Texas; curated by Joshua L. Peugh.
2018
Homografía/Homography 4, Artspace México, México City CDMX; curated by Chris Miller. (as SUPERM).
The Solar Panel Art Series: NYC Edition, A/D/O Design Center, NYC; curated by Georgia Frances King.
ultracontemporary, Phoenix Museum of Art, Arizona; curated by Dennita Sewell and Travis Hutchison.
The Violators, Leslie Lohman Project Space, NYC; curated by Gio Black Peter.
9999, The Fireplace Project, East Hampton, NY; curated by Edsel Williams.
New Chic, curated by Arnis Balčus and Alnis Stakle, Riga Photomonth, Riga Congress Center, Latvia (as SUPERM).
OTK 2, a live art performance/salon curated by Brian Kenny and Gio Black Peter, American Medium gallery, NYC.
2017
POWER MASK, Wereld Museum, Rotterdam, Holland; curated by Walter Van Beirendonck (catalog).
New Works, Youn Gallery, Montreal, CA; curated by Juno Youn.
2016
Asterisco Festival Internacional de Cine LGBTIQ, Centro Cultural Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina; curated by Topacio Fresh.
Tomorrow Never Happens, Samek Art Museum, Bucknell University, PA; curated by Richard Rhinehart (catalog).
Cruising the Dog Days of Summer, Glad Day Gallery, Toronto, CA; curated by Kris Steeves.
Wearable Arts, Green County Council for the Arts Gallery, Catskill NY; curated by JoJo Americo and Michele Saunders (catalog).
Contesting/contexting SPORT, ngbk and Kunstraum Kreuzberg/Bethanien, Berlin, Germany; curated by Zeljko Blace.
App & Down, La Termica, Malaga, Spain; curated by Topacio Fresh.
Team Fresh, La Fresh Gallery, Madrid, Spain; curated by Topacio Fresh.
2015
VERSUS, Swampspace, Miami; curated by Pepe Mar.
#Interface, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art, NY; curated by Walt Cessna.
A Corps Perdus, Galerie Gourvenec Ogor, Marseille, France; curated by Marc Donnadieu.
2014
Queer Biennial I, Coagula Curatorial, Los Angeles; curated by Ruben Esparza.
Faceless: Seduction, Surveillance, Privacy, Mediamatic Fabriek, Amsterdam; curated by Bogomir Doringer (traveling exhibition).
2013
L'ere vulgaire passera, Galerie Esther Woerdehoff, Paris, France; curated by Patrik Schedler.
FACELESS part 1, Museums Quartier 21, Vienna, Austria; curated by Bogomir Doringer and Brigitte Felderer.
I Killed My Father, I Ate Human Flesh, I Quiver with Joy, Allegra LaViola Gallery, NYC; curated by Benjamin Tischer, Risa Needleman and Allegra LaViola.
The New Modern Hair, Pacific Design Center, Los Angeles; curated by Culture-edit.
2012
Americana, Grey Area, NYC; curated by Kyle DeWoody.
Diana World Tour, Lomography Stores worldwide (catalog) – forthcoming.
Up Against It, Munch Gallery, NYC; curated by Billy Miller.
For Personal Use (as SUPERM), The Impossible Project, NYC; curated by East Village Boys.
Fad Gadget, envoy enterprises, NYC; curated by Jimi Dams (catalog).
2011
Sex, Magick and Alter Egos, Artists’ Television Access, San Francisco, CA; video program curated by Periwinkle Journal.
Wrestle, Launch F18, NYC; curated by Tim Donovan.
A View of Outer Space from an Aquarium, Famous Accountants, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Billy Miller.
QUEERING SEX, Human Resources, Los Angeles; curated by Kathryn Garcia and Sarvia Jasso.
Boys Toys, Galerie Czulosc, Warsaw, Poland; curated by Karol Radziszewski. (catalog)
My Spring Fling Turned Into My Summer Dream, Splatterpool Art Space, Brooklyn, NY; curated by J. Morrison.
Skeletor Saves, Headquarters Studios, NYC; curated by David Mason, Brian Moylan & Bradford Shellhammer.
Imperfect Articles, VOLTA NYC; curated by Noah Singer and Mike Andrews.
2010
Altered Statehood (as SUPERM), Artists' Television Access, San Francisco; programmed by Billy Miller.
Infidels, La Petite Mort Gallery, Ottawa, Canada; curated by Guy Berube.
Hung, The Horse Hospital, London; curated by Stuart Sandford
T Minus 20, Christopher Henry Gallery, NYC; curated by Ves Pitts and Jason LeBlond.
Tom of Finland and then some, Feature Inc gallery, NYC; curated by Hudson.
Because We Are, Station Museum, Houston; curated by James Harithas and Tim Gonzales. (catalog)
Drawn Together, Leslie Lohman Gallery, NYC; curated by Rob Rosen.
White Snuff, Museum Man, Berlin; curated by Adam Nankervis.
Postcards From the Edge: The 12th Annual Visual Aids Benefit Exhibition, ZieherSmith, NYC.
2009
Turn On, Slag Gallery, NYC; curated by Özkan Cangüüven.
BUTT in ASS, Asia Song Society, NYC; curated by Michael Bullock and Yasmine Dubois.
Foot Soldiers, envoy enterprises, NYC; curated by Nicolas Wagner and CRUSH Fanzine.
23rd Festival MIX Milano, Piccolo Teatro Strehler, Italy (as SUPERM)
Screwball Asses, The Company Gallery, Los Angeles, curated by Hedi El Khoti and David Jones.
Visions of Excess, (as SUPERM), Spill Festival of Performance, London; curated by Ron Athey and Lee Adams.
Investigating Desire, The 23rd London Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (as SUPERM).
History of Violence (as SUPERM), The Haifa Museum of Art, Israel; curated by Hadas Maor (catalog).
A Trip Down (False) Memory Lane, The Lexington Club, San Francisco; curated by Jessica Silverman.
Postcards From the Edge: The 11th Annual Visual Aids Benefit Exhibition, Metro Pictures, NYC.
2008
It Ain’t Fair, O.H.W.O.W. (Our House West of Wynwood), Art Basel Miami satellite group show (curated by Tim Barber, Kathy Grayson, Andreas Melas, Dan Nadel, Pablo de lad Barra, Nicola Vassell and Terence Koh).
Ossuary, The Black Mariah, Cork Ireland, curated by Alex Rose.
My Gay Eye 5, werkstattgallerie, Berlin, curated by Rinaldo Hopf.
Power and Currency, Factory Fresh Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, curated by Natalie Kates.
___In A Box, Canco Factory, Jersey City, New Jersey; curated by Billy Miller.
The Hustle, The powerhouse Arena, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Sara Rosen.
On the Obscene (as SUPERM), Queer Lisboa 12: The 12th Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival; curated by Manuela Kay (catalog).
I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl, Asia Song Society, NYC; curated by Anat Ebgi, Terence Koh, Jenny Schlenzka (catalog).
Homoccult & Other Esoterotica (as SUPERM), Collective Unconscious, NYC; Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; Outfest 2008: The 26th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
The Artist as Publisher, The Center for Book Arts, NYC; curated by Scott Hug and Billy Miller (catalog).
AA Bronson Loves Video Art (as SUPERM), as a part of Plot, Engage, Disperse: Pride Toronto’s contemporary art exhibit curated by Daryl Vocat, Norman Jewison Park, Toronto.
Forbidden Acts (as SUPERM), NewFest 2008: The 20th Anniversary NY LGBT Film
Festival NYC; curated by Cameron Yates (catalog).
Da Sodoma a Hollywood, The 23rd Torino International GLBT Film Festival, Italy.
The Other Side, The 58 Gallery, Jersey City, New Jersey; curated by Billy Miller.
Sex Is So Abstract, V-Tape, Toronto, Canada; curated by John Paul Ricco.
2007
Homoocult & Other Esoterotica, a program of short queer art films curated by Daniel McKernan & Richie Rennt, MIX Festival, NYC (catalog).
Revolution and Sexual Revolution Film Festival, a program curated by Akihiro Suzuki, Uplink Factory, Shibuya, Tokyo.
Showing Shame: Shameless Showing, a queer performance video program curatedbyRobertSummers, Telic Arts Exchange, Los Angeles, CA.
BodyPoliticX, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, the Netherlands;
curated by Florian Waldvogel (catalog).
The Cowboy & The Pegasus, a visual and interactive arts event curated by Rejnowska & Polera, Queer Fest Midwest, Pulaski Park Fieldhouse, Chicago, IL.
Re-Visions of Excess, Fierce Festival, Birmingham, UK; curated by Ron Athey and Lee Adams.
Sex Work: The Museum As Brothel; Art House As Porn House, Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany; curated by AA Bronson (catalog).
Love Addiction: Practices in Video Art from ’61 to the Present, Galleria Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea, Monfalcone, Italy; curated by Andrea Bruciati (catalog).
The Male Gaze, The powerHouse Arena, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Nicholas Weist.
The Brotherhood, Neon Parc, Melbourne, and Australian Centre for Photography (ACP), Sydney, Australia; curated by Shannon Michael Cane.
2006
Festival de Films Gays & Lesbiens de Paris, Paris, France.
1.PornfilmfestivalBerlin, Short Film Competition (2nd Prize), Berlin, Germany (catalog).
No Sleep ’til Brooklyn: A powerHouse Hip Hop Retrospective, The powerHouse Arena, Brooklyn, NY; curated by Sara Rosen.
Globos Sonda/Trial Balloons, Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Castilla y Leon, Spain. curated by Yuko Hasegawa, Agustín Pérez Rubio and Octavio Zaya. (catalog)
Mein Schwules Aug 3, Schwules Museum, Berlin, Germany; curated by Rinaldo Hopf.
2005
With Us Against Reality, or Against Us! Willy Wonka Inc., Oslo, Norway; curated by Ida Ekblad and Anders Nordby.
Log Cabin, Artists Space, NYC. curated by Jeffrey Uslip
SHORT FILMOGRAPHY
Thomas Cole and a Dream of Spring (2021)
Lacroix Sweetie! (2017)
Bros & Brosephines book trailer (2017) (as SUPERM)
Sky High (2014 )(as SUPERM)
SM Collider (2014) (as SUPERM)
SUPERM Fruit (2014) (as SUPERM)
Please Do Not Enter (2014)
TVTOR: Romanticism (2014)
An Afternoon with Gilbert & George (2012) (as SUPERM)
Beauty and Hell (2012) (as SUPERM)
Today You're 5, and I Want to Tell You The Truth (2012)
COLLAPSOSCOPE (2012)
Keep On Let Go (2011)
iShadow (2010)
Show Me Snow Man (2009)
I got Your Back (2009)
COP SHOT (2007) (as SUPERM)
SUPERM Highway (“On a Highway I Drive Very Fast”) (2006) (as SUPERM)
Curses, Hexes & Boots (2006) (as SUPERM)
Pay My Billz Jockstrap Dawgz (2006) (as SUPERM)
Teen Werewolf Workout! (2006) (as SUPERM)
Wake Up Paperboy! (2006) (as SUPERM)
COMMERCIAL COMMISSIONS & SPECIAL PROJECTS
2021
“Love is a Many Gendered Thing” A large-scale outdoor public mural in Providence Rhode Island, commissioned by RI public arts initiative The Avenue Concept, for Open Door Health. This massive LGBTQAI+ mural features larger than life portraits of Transgender, non-binary, queer and allied residents of Providence (both past and present), as well as portraits of other “Trans and queer heroes” from across the US.
“Thomas Cole a Dream of Spring” A custom 15 minute animated short film, commissioned by the Thomas Cole National Historic Site as a part of an immersive outdoor art installation “SPRING LIGHTS” in April 2021, Catskill, NY.
2020
BRIAN KENNY X ONITSUKA TIGER : A collaboration with the famed Japanese athletics brand Onitsuka Tiger, using Brian’s existing textile artworks and commissioning him to create a series of exclusive textile artworks, and drawings to create a special capsule collection that includes mens and women’s couture and read-to-wear luxury athleisure clothing, sneakers and backpacks as part of the larger FW2020 Onitsuka Tiger Collection. An in-store freehand window mural was created by Brian to celebrate the launch of the collection in September 2020.
2019
“The Age of Voltaire”, Commissioned free hand murals on walls and windows inside the lobby of the M3 Hotel in Ferney-Voltaire, France. Curated by Bertrand Marchal.
“Fashion Forward”, a commissioned freehand mural celebrating diversity, collaboration and creativity and custom wallpaper design at the new J.Crew Headquarters in downtown Manhattan. Directed by VM Architecture and Design.
“PAY IT NO MIND” a 2,100 square foot mural depicting the Transgender women of color and Stonewall rights activists Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in Dallas Texas. Commissioned by Arttitude, Impulse Group Dallas, the Cedar Springs Merchant Association and the City of Dallas Council of Cultural Affairs.
Highline Hat Party, Custom digital graphic design and animation commission by the Highline park for the 2019 Highline Hat Party Gala event, NYC.
“BUD” A live art and dance performance with dancers from the Dark Circles Contemporary Dance in collaboration with artisitic director Joshua L. Peugh. January 24-27 WaterTower Theater, Dallas Texas.
2018
Guys Nearby, Custom banner commission for NYC offices of SCRUFF app.
Johnson’s Popcorn, Ocean City, NJ. Summer T-shirt and holiday popcorn tin design.
2017
"LACROIX 30 ANS" Original artwork commission, capsule collection design, print design, performances and animated short film for Maison Christian Lacroix, Worldwide.
‘POWERMASK’ - 75 ft x 12 ft free hand mural commission by the Wereld Museum for “POWER MASK” exhibition; curated by Walter Van Beirendonck, Rotterdam, Holland (catalog).
2016
Scarf design commission for Walter Van Beirendonk FW2017 Collection "Zwart", Antwerp, Belgium and Paris, France.
“CORDUE” -Invite design for Yacine Aouadi Fall 2016 Couture Collection.
ADAM’S NEST, Provincetown, MA. Ongoing series of t-shirt design.
2015
“Big Apple of My Eye” -original artwork commission for official image of the 2016 Bailey House Charity Benefit.
2014
SKY HIGH, film commission with Slava Mogutin for Please Do Not Enter, Los Angeles.
ART AIDS ACTION, graphic design for 2014 Visual Aids Foundation tote, NYC.
graphic design for 2014 Leslie Lohman Museum founder's benefit tote, NYC.
TVTOR: Romanticism, film commission by Matthias Vriens-McGrath for the launch of TVTOR Magazine, Italy.
Please Do Not Enter, film commission for launch of Please Do Not Enter, Los Angeles.
2012
I Will Tell You the Truth, print design and video for Bruno Magli, Italy.
2011
Hand on Heart, poster and T-shirt design for Walter Van Beirendonck, Belgium.
BOOKS FEATURING BRIAN KENNY’S WORK
Galerie Youn Presents: Brian Kenny and Kit King, by Galerie Youn, BookArt publishing, Canada, ISBN: 978-0-9948953-3-2
POWERMASK: The Power of Masks, by Walter Van Beirendonck & Kaat Debo, Lannoo Publishers, Rotterdam 2017, ISBN: 978-9401442954
Bros and Brosephines, by Slava Mogutin, powerhouse books, NYC 2017, ISBN: 9781576878248
Completely Stripped, Bruno Gmunder Verlag Gmbh, Berlin 2010, ISBN: 978-3-86787-155-60
Toscana 3, by Matthias Herrmann. Printed Matter, NYC 2009 ISBN: 978-0-89439-041-8
Mein scwhules Auge 6, Edited by Rinaldo Hopf and Axel Shock, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, Berlin 2009 p. 5. ISBN: 978-3-88769-396-1
NYC Go-Go, by Slava Mogutin, powerhouse books, NYC 2008, ISBN: 978-1-57687-443-1
Mein scwhules Auge 5, Edited by Rinaldo Hopf and Axel Shock, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, Berlin 2008 p. 266-268. ISBN: 978-3-88769-395-4
Mein scwhules Auge 4, Edited by Rinaldo Hopf and Axel Shock, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, Berlin 2007 pp. 260, 266-267. ISBN: 978-3-88769-394-7
Mein scwhules Auge 3, Edited by Rinaldo Hopf and Axel Shock, Konkursbuch Verlag Claudia Gehrke, Berlin 2006 p. 19, 26, 144, 279-280 ISBN: 978-3-88769-393-0