The Collection

Marcus Brutus is a self-taught painter whose vivid figurative works explore themes of identity, power, and the multiplicity of the Black experience. His portraits and scenes—drawn from personal memory, literature, fashion, politics, music, and photography—collapse past and present into layered vignettes that reference both everyday life and histories of resistance. Across beaches, barbershops, living rooms, and landscapes, Brutus depicts diasporic subjects engaged in moments of leisure, labor, and contemplation. His bold contours, saturated palettes, and luminous surfaces create a sense of continuity and transition, bridging eras to highlight the enduring legacies of culture and struggle.

Brutus holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St. John’s University, Queens, and previously worked in public relations before turning to art full-time. His first monograph, Marcus Brutus: The Uhmericans (Harper’s, 2019), with an essay by curator Antwaun Sargent, established him as a rising voice in contemporary painting. His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Stems Gallery, Paris (2023); Carl Kostyál, Stockholm (2022); Library Street Collective, Detroit (2020–21); and Harper’s, East Hampton and New York (2018–20). Group exhibitions include presentations at König Galerie (Berlin), Arsenal Contemporary (New York), Gana Art (Seoul), and Phillips (New York), among others.

Brutus’s work is held in the collection of the Davis Museum at Wellesley College, and his painting Bus Stop was featured on the cover of The Movement for Black Lives: Philosophical Perspectives (Oxford University Press, 2021). In 2021, he collaborated with the streetwear brand Kith to reimagine its logo, further extending his influence into popular culture.