Bruce Mau

Widely known for his innovation in design and high-profile collaborations with leading architects, Bruce Mau has certainly transcended nationhood and become a contributor to the highest planes of creative enterprise. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Mau studied communication design at Ontario College of Art and Design and began his practical education in London, UK, where he gained exposure to visual artists who doubled as designers, like Herman Lelie. Since those formative years Mau has consistently pursued an interdisciplinarity that crossed politics, activism, design, architecture, and art. Mau has worked closely with Frank Gehry, designing the typography and signage for the Walt Disney Concert Hall, as well as that of the Art Gallery of Ontario, following Gehry’s “transformation.” He’s also worked with Rem Koolhaas on a lauded redesign of Toronto’s Downsview Park. He’s been commissioned by leading artworld institutions including the MoMA and Gagosian Gallery (New York), and has collaborated with artists Michael Snow, Gordon Monahan, and choreographer Meg Stuart. His aesthetic has been celebrated for its clarity, energy, and youth. Imbuing these spirited typographies is an urgent commentator on issues of consumption, communication, and persuasion. The drawing Untitled effectively communicates some of Mau’s aesthetic (multiple and clashing perspectives, for instance) and what can be his biting critique. Bruce Mau founded Bruce Mau Design in 1985, where he was the creative director until 2010. He also founded the Institute without Boundaries, whose first major project, Massive Change: The Future of Global Design, “examined the role of design in addressing social, environmental, and economic issues.” Mau is an honorary fellow of the Ontario College of Art and Design and a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. He was awarded the Chrysler Award for Design Innovation in 1998, and the Toronto Arts Award for Architecture and Design in 1999. In 2001 he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver.