Bruce Willen is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, musician, and creator of the Ghost Rivers public art project, which has brought widespread attention to the ecological consequences and forgotten histories of buried urban streams. His Baltimore-based studio, Public Mechanics, focuses on works for 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 acclaimed design studio Post Typography where he led high-profile projects that have shaped the visual language of Baltimore and beyond. His work has appeared on the covers of Time Magazine, The New York Times, and ESPN and in dozens of design books and periodicals, including a Post Typography monograph. He is the co-author of the book Lettering & Type and has written for the Washington Post, Design Observer, and other publications.
As part of his interdisciplinary practice, Bruce composes and performs music and sound art, including several new silent-film scores. With the 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.
