The son of a preacher man and grandson of a medium, Matthew J. O’Brien (thievesbreakin) is a Billings, MT-based contemporary artist and musician. Using paint, his words, video and sound predominately, O’Brien has, over the last two decades, shared his work with many throughout the northwestern United States. His work has been showcased in various mediums: gallery, museum, pop-up performance, festival, and zine. Classically trained in traditional gesso production, egg tempera painting, piano and polyphonic choral performance, O’Brien takes as influence the minds of Gibran, Abloh, Watts and Herzog; the Fluxus art movement, Nicolas Jaar, Mark Linkous, and Efrim Menuck in sound; Stanley Donwood, eastern Orthodox iconography, Harmony Korine, street art, and New York abstract expressionism in the graphic arts. Through its vulnerability and paradoxical nature, the art produced serves to both broaden horizons and ultimately unite.
Personal Details
Matthew J. O’Brien (b. 1979 Los Angeles County CA)
Lives and works in Billings MT
Education
St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, Polyphonic chant, 1998-1999
Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Mortuary Science, 2006-2008
Courses
Icon Painting: Traditional panel production and egg tempera, Chico CA, 1996
Solo Exhibitions
2025 One Plus One Equals Three, Kirks’ Grocery, Billings MT
Group Exhibitions
2022 Kirks’ Artists A-Z, Kirks’ Grocery, Billings MT
2022 Kirks’ Small Works Exhibition, Kirks’ Grocery, Billings MT
2024 Yellowstone Art Auction 57, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings MT
2025 The Big Picture Street Art Celebration, Billings MT
2025 Yellowstone Art Auction 58, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings MT
Performance
2007 Railyard w/ The Body, Billings MT
2012 Manny’s w/Touché Amore, Billings MT
2012 (m)Pat’s Place, Billings MT
2019 Back Alley Arts Festival, Billings MT
2019 Dryfest, Billings MT
Special Projects
2011 The Garbage Can Art Auction at Magic City Blues Festival, Billings MT
2023 Monster Draw Rally, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings MT
2025 Monster Draw Rally, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings MT
Press/Bibliography
“Julia Lois-Dreyfest Interviews Matthew O’Brien (thievesbreakin)”, Waste Division (online), August 5, 2019
Thompson, Ryan, “Thieves Break In”, Noise and Color, April 2019
http://waste-division.org/dreyfest-2019-interviews/julia-louis-dreyfest-interviews-matthew-obrien-thievesbreakin
https://kirks-grocery.myshopify.com/collections/matthew-o-brien
https://soundcloud.com/thievesbreakin