Brendan Stuart Burns was born in 1963; he currently lives and works in Cardiff. He studied Fine Art at Cardiff College of Art (1981 – 1985), and undertook a postgraduate in painting at The Slade School of Art, University College London (1985 – 1987). He won the Gold Medal in Fine Art at The National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1993 and 1998, and Welsh Artist of the Year in 2000 and 2003.

Burns has exhibited both Nationally and Internationally, including America, France, Belgium, Australia and Spain. His one-person exhibitions include Flow & Pulse, Rosenberg & Co, New York (2016), Gesture | Glimpse | Memory, Osborne Samuel Gallery, London, (2015); Influere, Oriel Y Parc – Landscape Gallery, St. Davids, Tidal, Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown, (2005), Not the Stillness…, National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth, Oriel Clwyd and Newport Museum & Art Gallery (2002), As well as Being… National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Turner House Gallery, Cardiff (1999).

He has shown widely in group exhibitions, including Recent Paintings, Osborne Samuel Gallery London 2019; Recent Paintings, Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, 2018; The Armory Modern, New York, Osborne Samuel Gallery and Rosenberg & Co, (2016 & 2015); Masterpiece, Osborne Samuel (2015/16/17/18), Art Miami, Osborne Samuel (2014/15/16/18); 4 Contemporary Artists, Osborne Samuel Gallery London (2014); Masterpieces of Modern British Art’, Osborne Samuel Gallery London (2008); Refractions / Shadows 7 Artists curated by Mel Gooding, Lemon St Gallery Truro (2008); Vll Xuntanza Obradoiro Internacional das Artes Plasticas, Museo Municipal ‘Ramon Maria Allen, Spain (2004); Places, National Museums & Galleries of Wales, Cardiff (2003); West Wales Arts Centre, Fishguard (2003); Gordon Hepworth Gallery, Affordable Art Fair New York (2003); Painting Ysbryd / Spirit Wales, Festival Interceltique de L’Orient, France; National Eisteddfod of Wales, St Davids (2002); Different Lights, UKwithNY Festival, Angel Orensanz Arts Centre, New York (2001); Welsh Artists Talking, National Museum & Galleries of Wales, Cardiff (2000).

His work is held in numerous private and public collections including The National Museum & Galleries of Wales, The Derek Williams Trust, The Contemporary Art Society of Wales, A Fundacion Casa Museo ‘A Solaina’ de Pilono, Spain and Contemporary Art Society of Britain (Tom Bendhem Bequest), America, Australia, China, Holland, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Mexico, Switzerland, Taiwan and The United Arab Emirates.

Burns completed his PhD Shadow into Parent Light: Beyond Pembrokeshire, beyond Landscape in 2011. Publications include Glimpse including essays by Mel Gooding, Tony Curtis, Sally Moss and Anne Price-Owen; 2012. Into Painting by David Alston and Mel Gooding published by Seren in 2008.