Bruce Willen is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, musician, and creator of the Ghost Rivers public art project, which has brought wide public attention to the ecological consequences and forgotten histories of buried urban streams. He is founder of Public Mechanics — a Baltimore-based studio working in public and cultural spaces.
Throughout Bruce’s practice he seeks to bring new perspectives to everyday places, objects, language, and histories. His recent work aims to deepen engagement with the landscapes, systems, and symbols around us, fostering moments of discovery and play that open new ways to experience our shared spaces.
Prior to Public Mechanics, Bruce co-founded the acclaimed design studio Post Typography where he led high-profile branding, digital, music design, public art, and experiential projects that have shaped the visual language of Baltimore and the sustainable building industry. He is the co-author of the book Lettering & Type and has written for the Washington Post, Design Observer, and other publications. Bruce’s designs and illustrations have appeared on multiple covers of Time Magazine, The New York Times, and ESPN, among others. His work has received numerous fancy-pants design awards and has been published in dozens of design periodicals and books from Phaidon, Taschen, and Rizzoli, as well as a Post Typography monograph from European publisher Pyramyd Éditions. He has spoken at the Cooper Union, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, and Harvard University among many others.
As part of his interdisciplinary practice, Bruce composes and performs music and sound art, including several new silent-film scores. With instrumental duo Peals, Bruce has performed in clock towers, museums, and living rooms on multiple continents and has released recordings with legendary indie label Thrill Jockey Records. Prior to Peals, Bruce contributed to Baltimore’s music scene for nine years as a member of the influential post-punk band Double Dagger, subject of the 2013 documentary film If We Shout Loud Enough.
Get in touch:
hi@brucewillen.com
