Alice Barker
Degree: BA (Hons) Painting
University: The University of Edinburgh
Graduation Year: 2021
New Blood Art Commentary
Alice Barker is a painter whose work explores memory as something unstable, vivid and in flux. A graduate of the University of Edinburgh, BA Hons Painting, 2021, she was selected for RSA New Contemporaries 2023.
Working with collage, thin washes of oil paint and turpentine, Barker builds layered compositions where figures sit within expansive, flattened landscapes. These spaces feel both intimate and unsettled, holding a tension between presence and distance.
Her paintings move between clarity and dissolution, with forms emerging and fading through translucent colour. The work carries a strong sense of scale and psychological charge, where moments feel simultaneously close and unreachable.
Barker’s inclusion in RSA New Contemporaries 2023 confirms the strength of the work and marks her as an artist deserving closer attention at this stage in her career.
Artist Statement
Born and based in London, I am a queer non-binary artist whose practice navigates the realms of memory and imagination. Utilising family photographs, video footage, and personal recollections, I weave compositions that blur reality and fantasy, infusing them with a nostalgic warmth and an otherworldly aura.
In recent explorations, I've delved into the nightmarish qualities of memory, portraying characters and scenes diverging from vivid childhood imagery. Clown-like demons and surreal figures emerge, tapping into the whimsy and fear of childhood imagination. My process is spontaneous and intuitive, letting paint guide me as marks evolve into recollected narratives.
Each brushstroke bears the essence of personal history and inner worlds, inviting viewers to decipher their own meanings within layers of emotion. Through my work, I aim to provoke wonder and introspection, inviting viewers on journeys of reminiscence and imagination. It serves as a mirror reflecting human complexities, fostering contemplation and connection.
In essence, my practice celebrates the multifaceted nature of identity and memory, transcending boundaries to evoke emotions and ignite imaginations. Each piece captures my inner world while inviting exploration of others' inner landscapes.
Group Exhibitions
(2024) Slip, Slop, Slap, Safe House, London
(2024) Clip, Clop, Clown, RuptureXibit, London
(2024) Turps Final year Show, TURPS Gallery, London
(2023) RSA New Contemporaries, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
(2021) RSA annual exhibition, RSA, Edinburgh
(2020) In the Same Boat, St Margaret’s house, Edinburgh
Competitions, Prizes & Awards
(2021) RSA New Contemporaries
(2021) Portrait Artist of the Year contestant
(2017) Open Art finalist
(2024) Rupture Xibit Summer Residency