About

Apparently born under a super full moon sometime in the last century in a country too difficult to pronounce, let alone spell. Not much is known of his early years, some say he was raised in a traveling circus, others that he is an aristocrat of Slovenian heritage. Rumour even has it that he is now 98 years old and used to associate with the greatest minds of his age. Then again others think he’s just some guy from England who likes to paint ridiculous amounts of bright coloured art. What we do know though, is that since bursting onto the art scene in 2007 his work has appeared on and livened up numerous streets, gallery and home walls in places around the world and beyond.

Bortusk Leer has developed a signature voice and style, creating manic, euphoric creatures plus other lively abstract pieces, videos, TV shows and numerous psychedelic assemblages of Neo-Pop-Art-Brut. Bortusk is fascinated by the Cobra-movement, inspired by futuristic heroes and influenced by all the children of the world.

Bortusk Leer’s work is driven by a desire to create images that communicate directly and instinctively,; images that are immediate, accessible, and visually disarming. In a cultural climate shaped by tension, suspicion, and intensity, his paintings operate in a different register, where humor, exaggeration, and play are treated as legitimate artistic strategies. What might appear naïve at first glance is, for Leer, a deliberate stance. He does not fear simplicity; he resists cynicism. Using a bold, playful visual language, his work aims to interrupt familiar patterns of perception and invite a more open, instinctive reaction. By drawing on visual cues associated with childhood — monsters, signs, and exaggerated forms — Leer creates work that remains approachable while addressing more complex emotional and social undercurrents. His paintings encourage viewers to reconnect with their inner child, curiosity and humor as valid ways of engaging with the world, not as an escape from reality, but as a way of navigating it.