ABOUT - Michael Barber

Michael Barber is an Indigenous artist (Upper Mohawk) from Port Dover, Ontario. His mixed media compositions are alluring and intriguing. Thick, chipped, scratched and blistered layers of pigment create marvelous worn textures, which have splashes of resin that add to their appeal. Barber paints on mahogany plywood and uses a variety of methods in his work. He uses resist techniques for paint application and gouging and scratching is done with many different types of hand tools. Exposing earlier layers in his work through this practice helps him to create a sense of time. Barber applies images to the work using a primitive printing technique and manipulating the cut after various applications.

“The creation of a piece is a very physical activity. I get lost in the painting and struggle between layers, in the dilemma of exposure and protections. It’s an exhausting process and yet I find it so satisfying.”

Michael Barber is an award winning artist who has shown his work across Ontario and the United States; including the Hummingbird Centre in Toronto and the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. His work is included in collections throughout Canada and the US.