The Disturbing Final Self Portraits of Bryan Charnley

If you were to search for artwork by Bryan Charnley, what follows is a collection of unhinged and chaotic scenes. A shocking yet gripping insight into the world of mental disintegration.

Charnley’s unmistakable use of extreme and sometimes violent serialism is very recognisable in the world of outsider art. But the work that stands out to most people is his 17 final self portraits, alongside a diary, that documents a tragic story about his struggles living with Schizophrenia, right up until his final days before committing suicide in July 1991.

In this video we are going to explore the mind of this troubled yet talented artist, as well as the final self portraits that reflected a mind so desperately in decline.