Cultural convergence and expansive world views are major themes within the architectural structures, figure sculpture, paintings, and singular hybrid sculptures I build. I seek to insert personal biographical elements along with aspects of mass culture (advertising, fashion, sports, comics, television, and movies). My works attempt to address our connections and disconnections within a turbulent human history. Not all the signs and images used are clearly identifiable or penetrable. My formal and conceptual practices involve the gestures of collecting, repositioning, or reshaping existing objects for new interpretations. I seek to develop works and perform actions which share a very specific attitude and atmosphere rather than a clearly identifiable style.”
Williams will perform workshops with students in the CU area from October 27-30, 2025. A 2025 review of his recent exhibition “Crossings” can be viewed here:
https://hyperallergic.com/1027120/a-moving-encounter-with-the-art-of-bernard-williams/
Bernard Williams is an established artist based in Chicago, IL and working in painting, sculpture, installation, and public art. He holds a BFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MFA from Northwestern University. His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the U.S., and has been represented by the N’Namdi Gallery in Detroit, the Thomas McCormick Gallery in Chicago, and the Ethan Cohen Gallery in New York.
The artist began painting outdoor murals in the early 1990’s with the Chicago Public Art Group. While continuing with CPAG, Williams has added outdoor sculpture to his practice. In recent years he has created several outdoor steel sculptures in Chicago, and completed the Black Tractor Project at the Arts Club of Chicago 2019. In November 2020-May 2021, he debuted a large sculptural work in the “Long Dream” group exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In 2021 the artist has won two significant outdoor Commissions: The Naomi Anderson installation for Michigan City, Indiana, and in 2023 a large steel sculpture will be installed at Nate Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University in University Park, IL.