Gareth Barlow - Songs from Memory Catalogue

GARETH BARLOW

’SONGS FROM MEMORY’ EXHIBITION

“I’ve drawn these birds in charcoal as I would my human friends, holding a proud pose in a more traditional portraiture style. Demanding respect that I would expect from any of my sitters. And as ancestors from the yesteryear, we can reflect on their image to create a warming energy from our past. My dots representing a familiar echo that connects us to the past, present and future. And the birds forever present in all aspects of those dimensions.”

- Gareth Barlow

ABOUT

Gareth Barlow is an established painter and carver from the Hutt Valley, Wellington. He is a sixth-generation New Zealander with a profound connection to people and places. His art practice is informed by his deep respect for indigenous culture and traditional Māori art. Barlow’s recent portrait series of living subjects embody the character of the sitter. Strong reflective and complex, his artwork comes to life on the canvas.

He aims to embody the energy or lifeforce of his subject, if he can capture their spirit he knows it will resonate with the viewer. A delicate pattern of dots painted on the surface of the works adds an exquisite dimension to his painting. These tiny elements glisten like jewels or droplets of water. Together they form smooth undulating curved lines that evoke the mountains, sea and rivers of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Private commissions along with solo and group exhibitions throughout New Zealand have firmly established the name of this full-time artist. In 2021 Barlow recently received a Highly Commended Award in the Parkin Drawing Prize. He was a finalist in the Wallace Art Awards in 2020 and the Adam Portraiture Awards in 2020/2018.

Gareth Barlow Kea

81 x 101cm $5,900

Gareth Barlow

Raven

81 x 101cm

$5,900

Gareth Barlow Black Cockatoo

101 x 81.5cm $5,900

Gareth Barlow Tui

81 x 101cm

$5,900

Gareth Barlow

Kaka

81 x 101cm

$5,900

Gareth Barlow Kea Rua

81 x 101cm $5,900