William Brui

William Brui was born in Leningrad in 1946, then graduated from an art school for children. In 1959, the young

artist exhibited his works in his own apartment. In 1961, he found an apprentice position at an engraver’s work-

shop, where he met the leading authors of the 60s. In 1963, he started working in abstract manner. Through

1965-1970, he collaborated with a semiofficial Artists’ Shop gallery and took part in group exhibitions of Len-

ingrad artists. In 1971, he moved to Paris and had exhibitions at Cité Internationale des Arts, as well as Anton

Meyer Gallery in Geneva. In the same year, he met Alex Liberman, artistic director of Vogue magazine in New

York, who became Brui’s patron and introduced him to the artistic bohème of New York. In 1973, Brui creat-

ed United Fields series of works, of which Guggenheim Museum purchased one work, and New York MoMA

— four pieces. In 1975-1977, Norton Dodge added three dozens of Brui’s paintings to his collection of Russian

underground art and, in the 80s, organized several exhibitions with the participation of these pieces. In 1973-

1983, the artist reached his golden age and exhibited a lot, including Andre Emmerich Gallery, one of the most

prestigious in the field of contemporary art. Currently William Brui lives and works in his Normandy estate.

William Brui, USSR born Jewish artist based in Normandy, France. His works can be found at the Metropolitan

Museum of Art (NYC), The Museum of Contemporary Art (NYC), Guggenheim Museum (NYC), The Museum

of Contemporary Art in Paris (Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris), The Center of Georges-Pompidou

(Centre national d’art et de culture Georges-Pompidou, Paris), The National Library of France (Bibliothèque

Nationale, Paris), The Russian State Museum (St. Petersburg), and in numerous private collections.