Raised in New York Metropolis on the Decrease East Facet, artist Colleen Barry spent ten years learning privately with New York artists of their studios. Her self-funded training finally led her to a residency program on the American Academy in Rome in 2011, the place she studied previous grasp work in museums all through Rome, Florence, Naples, and later on the Louvre in Paris. She now paints out of her studio in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and explains that motherhood has had a big impact on her observe:
“Since I grew to become a mom of two daughters my art work modified considerably. I moved away from portraits and began to color the determine. I discovered the physique might specific concepts surrounding motherhood in a stronger, extra highly effective approach. I additionally felt the necessity to embody mammalian symbols in my work. I like the determine uncooked and striped down of decoration and fabric. Fingers and toes in shut communication. Flesh touching flesh. The size of my work additionally modified to incorporate bigger extra colourful canvases. Lots of the determine compositions seem like clusters or bundles of flesh, encompassing a sense of tightness, bonding, holding. I really feel the necessity to preserve the our bodies shut collectively. I feel that’s the safety intuition.”
Barry’s present observe incorporates components from popular culture, Roman mythology, and motherhood throughout the animal kingdom. See extra of her work beneath!