

Nora Bruhn is a self-taught artist based out of San Francisco, CA. Her artwork is a reflection of her deep love of the manifold ecosystems that blanket the planet, with an urban twist. She grew up running barefoot through fields, picking juicy blackberries and catching tadpoles at her family home outside of Hastings, MN. As a high school student, she began drawing and was encouraged to pursue art by her teacher Bert Capserson. Instead of following her passion for art, she took a different path. She felt it was important to begin learning about the many systems which make life on Earth possible and studied Biology at The University of Iowa. She also received a certificate in Sustainability.
After graduating from UI, she moved to San Francisco seeking a masters degree in Environmental Management. Quickly after beginning her program, she realized it was not the right time for her to continue her education. It was time to learn from experience rather than the classroom and she withdrew from her program shortly after. She found herself wandering the neighborhoods of San Francisco in constant awe of the street art decorating every surface. She was inspired by the idea of transforming the grey, concrete city into a vibrant landscape of storytelling and public artwork. This triggered the end of her seven year hiatus from painting.
She once again picked up the paintbrush and has yet to put it down. With visions of painting huge walls on her mind and she decided to take this dream as far she could. Within three years, she was painting murals full-time.
Beyond aesthetics, Nora is equally interested in the relationships that bloom via painting for private clients and the public. Nora is a facilitator at the intersection of art and community. She has firsthand experience of the healing effects of art and encourages everyone to discover their own creative voice. She plays many roles including teacher, facilitator of mural workshops and art curator. In 2018, she produced an international live painting tournament called Art Battle. Art Battle serves as a gateway for non-artists to experience the often misunderstood art world. The audience witnesses art being created live, getting a glimpse of the artist and their process.
Nora has yet to conform to a single style. She enjoys exercising her versatility with her diverse clientele. Although she experiments with style, one can always find a bold sense of color and light. Her work often reflects the marriage of a deep reverence for nature and influences of urban street art. She asks the question, how can our cities learn from and replicate the self sustaining systems found in nature? Currently, she is exploring this concept by studying botany both in the classroom and her murals.