Gregory O'Brien, born Matamata, New Zealand, in 1961, is a Wellington-based poet and painter who exhibits regularly at Bowen Galleries. He divides his time between independent projects and his work at the City Gallery Wellington, where he has curated exhibitions by Ralph Hotere, Rosalie Gascoigne, Colin McCahon, Fiona Hall, Elizabeth Thomson and others.
Greg has illustrated his own poetry books and two publications introducing art to young people, Welcome to the South Seas (AUP, 2004) and Back and Beyond (AUP, 2008). His other books include After Bathing at Baxter's - Essays and Notebooks (VUP, 2002) and News of the Swimmer Reaches Shore (Carcanet/VUP, 2007).
O'Brien's poems and drawings were the basis for a winter fashion collection from Auckland designer Doris de Pont in 2006. His artworks can be found on book covers in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, Holland and Russia. His art is included in the following collections: the Hocken Library, Otago University, Dunedin; the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs collection; University of Auckland Art Collection and the Chartwell Collection.