Gallery Bio Contact John Stockton   Karl Malone
Brian Challis

From Brian’s early childhood he has had a passion for creating. One of his earliest memories is “sitting on the milk box, carving a figure in a piece of wood”. Although he never had an art class, at his high school graduation he received the school’s highest art award.

As an young adult, Brian’s interest turned to wooden circular stairways. The fertile three dimensional envelope and sensuous lines of helical stairs presented intriguing sculptural opportunities. He designed and built stairs for noted actors, businessmen, and U.S. Presidents. He has received twelve patents. His firm, Challis Stairways, was sold in 1992 to LJ Smith, an Ohio based stair parts manufacturer. For the following four years he ran a research and development group for LJ Smith.

Since 1996 Brian has dedicated himself to sculpture and design. In 1998 Larry H. Miller, a highly successful entrepreneur, asked Brian to design a theme restaurant. The Mayan Restaurant which has received international recognition is the result; the theme was conceived and the artistic design was created by Brian.

His body of work includes traditional, impressionistic and abstract sculpture. Some of his pieces include a blend of these genres.

His traditional work includes life-size sculptures of his own children. The tender emotions elicited by these highly detailed pieces hint at the love Brian has for children in general, his own in particular. In 2003 the Utah Jazz commissioned him to create 1-½ life size sculptures of John Stockton and Karl Malone for their home arena, the Delta Center.

For his impressionistic and abstract work, subject matter is generally absent, and when employed, is subservient to form. He has designed unique bearing and motor assemblies which give his kinetic pieces a freedom of motion found nowhere else. The fluid, moving lines of spirals, helical forms and the enigmatic mobius, have long intrigued him. His work often speaks of that intrigue. People frequently comment that Brian’s work is very similar to that of M C Escher, but in three dimensions. Although he was a poor student of math, Brian’s work is often imbued with mathematical undertones.

Brian’s sculpture has been juried into numerous art shows. Awards include First Place, Second Place and several Merit Awards. Salt Lake City asked Brian to organize an art Gallery for the 2002 Olympic Games and invited him to be one of two featured artists at the two week show.

His work is found in public and private collections throughout the U.S., and abroad. Brian is married and has six children.