Robert O’Brien is a self-taught artist originally from London, now based in Gothenburg, Sweden. Working predominantly with portraiture, his practice focuses on the human face its structure, expression, and emotional presence. His painting process is fast and instinctive, favouring direct mark-making that allows each image to emerge intuitively.
O’Brien works primarily in oil paint, watercolour, pastel, wax crayon and coloured pencil appropriate to the mood and subject. His approach balances close observation with immediacy, resulting in portraits that are raw, direct, and psychologically attentive.
His work has been recognised through several major exhibitions and awards. O’Brien has been selected twice for the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, London, receiving Third Prize in 2008 for his portrait Hannah O’Brien. His work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery and toured nationally to venues including Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museum, Sunderland Museum and Winter Garden, and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. He has also been included in the National Portrait Gallery’s Mystery Postcard project and Portrait Gala events.
In 2016, O’Brien was shortlisted for the Columbia Threadneedle Prize, exhibiting at Mall Galleries, London, with the exhibition touring internationally to Palazzo Strozzi, Florence. His work was also selected for the Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, exhibited at the Willis Museum & Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke.
Most recently, O’Brien was selected for the Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, London, where he was awarded the Winsor & Newton Non-Member Award in 2025. He is also exhibiting in the Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2026 at Mall Galleries, London.
His practice remains centred on portraiture as a means of close looking using painting to explore presence, vulnerability, and the emotional depth of the human face.
Selected Exhibitions
2026
Pastel Society Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2025
Royal Institute of Oil Painters Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
2020–2021
Sunday Times Watercolour Competition, Willis Museum & Sainsbury Gallery, Basingstoke
2016
Columbia Threadneedle Prize (Finalist Exhibition), Mall Galleries, London
Columbia Threadneedle Prize (Touring Exhibition), Palazzo Strozzi, Florence
Moving Art Project, Sweden
2015
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Aberystwyth Arts Centre
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
2014
BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Sunderland Museum & Winter Garden
Portrait Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2009
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Aberystwyth Arts Centre
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museum
Portrait Gala, National Portrait Gallery, London
2008
BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery, London
BP Portrait Award (Touring Exhibition), Wolverhampton Art Gallery
