Born in Johnstone (Scotland) in 1946 Brian Kelly studied at the Glasgow School of Art from 1973 to 1977. Scholarships made travel to Istanbul, Paris and Berlin possible for study purposes. From 1977 to 1979 he taught printing at the Print Studio in Glasgow and in 1980 drawing at the Urdang Academy in London. Back in Glasgow, from 1981 to 1988 he gave courses in silkscreen printing at the Glasgow School of Art. In 1988 Kelly moved to West Berlin, where he lives and works today.