Born in Belfast, Brian Ballard trained at Belfast College of Art, and later at the College of Art, Liverpool. He still lives in Belfast but spends long periods of time living and working in his house on the remote and rugged island of Inishfree off the coast of Donegal. His contemporary approach to painting alternates between figurative treatment of nudes, landscape and expressionistic still life, all of which he practices in equal measure and intensity. Brian has exhibited widely in Ireland and England ever since his paintings were first hung in the Arts Council Gallery in 1967. His work can be found in many collections such as The Ulster Museum, U2, and the National Trust.