Brian Fisher was born in 1939 in Uxbridge, England, to Canadian parents. The family moved to Canada during his childhood, where he eventually studied at the University of Saskatchewan's Regina College. He furthered his studies at the Vancouver School of Art and the Academia de Belle Arti in Rome before returning to Canada.

In 1963, Fisher taught at the University of British Columbia. He then taught at the Vancouver School of Art from 1964 to 1965. His teaching career also took him to Alberta, where he taught at the University of Calgary in 1969 and participated in the Banff Summer Workshop in 1973. He later returned to Saskatchewan and served as a faculty member at the University of Regina from 1976 to 1980. Eventually, in 1983, he relocated to Adelaide, Australia. During his time of studying and teaching in Regina, Fisher was mentored by various members of the Regina Five.

His debut solo exhibition was at the New Design Gallery in Vancouver in 1965. He went on to exhibit widely including at the Canadian Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal. He was one of 24 artists profiled in William Withrow's 1972 book, Contemporary Canadian Painting. His works are held in important collections including the Canada Council Art Bank, National Gallery of Canada, Art Gallery of Ontario, and Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal.