Artist in Focus: Tereza Barnard
The world is speeding up, and many things are but a swipe away. However, some emotions cannot be read in a split second. With a graduate degree in psychology, Tereza Barnard (b. 1984) has learned that hidden but key features take time to be observed and revealed. Barnard uses realism, narrative elements, and sometimes abstract features to allow her viewers to slow down, observe the hidden layers, and enter the inner worlds of her sitters and her own. In doing so, she hopes they will find beauty, inspiration, and, most notably, a time for themselves to think. Barnard is a self-taught artist and can take up to three months to finish a painting as she extensively observes the microexpressions of her subjects.
Barnard was a finalist in ModPortrait 2021, ARC 15th and 16th Salon, and her work has been presented to the jury at Figurativas 2021. She received an honourable mention in the Blue Review Art Prize and has exhibited in galleries across the UK and the United States, recently exhibiting with the Royal Society of British Artists at Mall Galleries.
Barnard’s work is available through Arcadia Contemporary Gallery in NY.
Tereza Barnard’s paintings of young beauty queens in beautiful ruffle dresses are not just a nostalgic look into a world of pageantry, they are also a deeper exploration of the complexities of the mother-child relationship. These paintings are not just representations of physical beauty but also an examination of how this beauty is constructed, both by society and by the mothers who put their children in these competitions. Barnard uses her mastery of colour and form to create images that are both alluring and disquieting, inviting the viewer to consider the implications of the pageant world and the pressure placed on both the children and their mothers.
Through the use of vibrant hues, Barnard draws the viewer in, seducing them with the beauty of the dresses and the children themselves. But as the viewer looks closer, they begin to notice the subtle hints of manipulation and control that exist within the paintings. The forced smiles on the children’s faces and other elements come together to create a sense of unease that underlies the outward beauty of the paintings.
In this way, Barnard’s work serves as a powerful commentary on the societal expectation of beauty and the ways in which it is imposed upon both mothers and children. It invites the viewer to question the impact that these expectations have on their relationships and the lengths to which mothers will go in pursuit of achieving them. Through her use of striking imagery and nuanced symbolism, Barnard’s paintings reveal the beauty pageant world for what it truly is: a constructed reality that has real-life consequences.