CV
ALI BARKER
she/her
b. 1972, Sheffield, UK
Lives and works in Merseyside, UK
MA Fine Art (Distinction) University of Chester, 2017-2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition Prizewinner 2018
Merseytravel ‘Art on the Network’ competition winner 2011
Public artwork: two skyline murals, permanently installed on the panelling inside the Queensway (Liverpool-Birkenhead) Mersey road tunnel.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS, RESIDENCIES AND PROJECTS
Solo exhibition and residency
Music-Colour-Paint
Arena Grounded Gallery, Arena Studios and Gallery, Liverpool, 31 July-12 September 2021
Solo exhibitions
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres Residency exhibition
The Everyman, Hope Street, Liverpool, 13-25 March 2024
Ensemble
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 24 June-22 July 2023
Musicals to Mahler
The Art Space, Cass Art, Liverpool, 6-17 June 2022
Blog post about my artistic journey and practice to coincide with this exhibition here
Prelude
Online exhibition in a virtual gallery, hosted by dot-art.co.uk 22 January-30 June 2021
Four-Dimensional Colour
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 10-24 September 2016 – a Liverpool Biennial Fringe exhibition
Two-person exhibition
Expression Through Colour
Liverpool Cathedral, 7 September-28 October 2020 (organised by dot-art Gallery)
Blog post about my work and this exhibition here
Three-person exhibition
Music and Making
An exhibition by three abstract artists for whom music plays an important part in their artistic practice
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool. Originally scheduled for March-May 2020 but cancelled due to the pandemic.
Group exhibitions
2023
Southport Palette Club 5th Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 30 September-25 November 2023
Liverpool Art Fair
Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, 30 June-20 August 2023
Sefton Open Exhibition 2023
The Atkinson, Southport, 01 April-13 May 2023
2022
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 25 November 2022-28 January 2023
Southport Palette Club 4th Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 17 September-26 November 2022
Sefton Open Exhibition 2022
The Atkinson, Southport, 09 April-21 May 2022
2021
Southport Palette Club 3rd Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 11 September-27 November 2021
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition 2021
The Atkinson, Southport, 17 April-6 June 2021
2020
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival 2020 Open Exhibition
Warrington Museum and Gallery, 11 September-23 December 2020
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition 2020
The Atkinson, Southport, 18 April-4 July 2020
'Nice to see you, to see you, nice' - University of Chester Staff and Alumni Exhibition
CASC Gallery, Chester, 24 January-12 March 2020
2019
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery and The Metquarter, Liverpool, November 2019-January 2020
Southport Palette Club 1st Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport. 28 September-23 November 2019
MA Fine Art Exhibition
Kingsway Campus, University of Chester, 18-21 September 2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, 20 July-4 September 2019
Liverpool Art Fair
The Metquarter, Liverpool, 14 June-1 September 2019
93rd Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2019
2018
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2018-January 2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition – Student Prizewinner
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2018
Liverpool Art Fair
The Pier Head Village, Liverpool Waterfront, July-September 2018
2017
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2017-January 2018
Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2017
Liverpool Art Fair
The Pier Head Village, Liverpool Waterfront, July-September 2017
Liverpool Open Exhibition
Editions Ltd., Liverpool, June-July 2017
91st Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2017
2016
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2016-January 2017
West Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2016
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, May 2016
Dear Liverpool exhibition
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, February-April 2016
2015
90th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2015
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, 2015
11th Open Art Exhibition
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 2015
2014
89th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2014
Artist in Residence
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres Artist in Residence
September 2023-February 2024
Wirral Arts Festival 2022
1-15 October 2022
Wirral Arts Festival 2021
2-16 October 2021
Site-specific installation
‘Ensemble’ (78 paintings) and ‘Inchromental’ (12 paintings)
Southport College Gallery, January 2015
Collaborative work
Enchanted Forest (Synaesthesia 175) [after Benito-Gutiérrez and Pollock]
Shown online as part of IN)cógnito#1
Lockdown collaboration with Isabel Benito-Gutiérrez (composer).
The video I made of myself painting – responding and experimenting in colour to Isabel’s earlier composition ’Enchanted Forest (After Pollock)’ – became the score for her new piece ‘(IN)chanted Forest’ for solo flute.
The video of my painting can be seen alongside the performance of the music on YouTube
New Music Manchester Festival 2019: Incógnito#2
Premiere performance of a collaborative composition by Isabel Benito-Gutiérrez (composer), Ali Barker and Roland Keogh (visual artists). The video of the abstract painting created jointly by Ali and Roland became the score for the performers on piano and tuba.
Photo of the performance on Instagram, with the video of the painting projected on the wall
COMPETITIONS
Winner of Merseytravel’s Art on the Network 2011 competition ‘Design a New Skyline’ for the Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel, Merseyside.
‘Liverpool Composition’ and ‘Wirral Composition’ are on permanent display inside the Birkenhead Tunnel:
https://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Merseyside/Wirral/CH60/News/Local-News/214956-Mersey-Tunnel-Refurbishment-Fit-For-a-Queen
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/artwork-incorporated-mersey-tunnel-refurbishment-3356267
PRESS
Cover image and artist interview in UPPERCASE magazine issue #56
Published in December 2022, this issue of the quarterly print magazine inspired by craft, design and illustration has one of my expressive paintings as the cover artwork and includes an in-depth interview about my artistic practice.
uppercasemagazine.com
uppercasemagazine.com/products/uppercase-56-single-copy
uppercasemagazine.com/pages/simple-store-finder
Uppercase issue 56 flip-through video on Vimeo
Featured Artist, dot-art Gallery, December 2022:
dot-art.co.uk/2022/12/22/in-the-studio-ali-barker/
Cass Art interview blog post about my artistic journey and practice, to coincide with my Cass Art exhibition 'Musicals to Mahler', June 2022:
www.cassart.co.uk/artist-feature-ali-barker/
Blog post about my work and the Expression Through Colour exhibition, September 2020:
dot-art.co.uk/2020/09/29/qa-with-ali-barker-nathan-pendlebury/
Featured Artist Interview for ArtInLiverpool.com, September 2016:
https://www.artinliverpool.com/features/artist-blog/featured-artist-ali-barker-four-dimensional-colour/
Member of the editorial team for Hidden Gems
A free newspaper produced in 2016 by a group of artists and writers to highlight Liverpool’s independent and artist-led art scene:
issuu.com/hiddengems/docs/hidden_gems
PREVIOUS EDUCATION/CAREER
BPharm (Hons), Pharmacy. University of Bradford, 1991-95
(Registered as a Pharmacist 1995-2015)
she/her
b. 1972, Sheffield, UK
Lives and works in Merseyside, UK
MA Fine Art (Distinction) University of Chester, 2017-2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition Prizewinner 2018
Merseytravel ‘Art on the Network’ competition winner 2011
Public artwork: two skyline murals, permanently installed on the panelling inside the Queensway (Liverpool-Birkenhead) Mersey road tunnel.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS, RESIDENCIES AND PROJECTS
Solo exhibition and residency
Music-Colour-Paint
Arena Grounded Gallery, Arena Studios and Gallery, Liverpool, 31 July-12 September 2021
Solo exhibitions
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres Residency exhibition
The Everyman, Hope Street, Liverpool, 13-25 March 2024
Ensemble
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 24 June-22 July 2023
Musicals to Mahler
The Art Space, Cass Art, Liverpool, 6-17 June 2022
Blog post about my artistic journey and practice to coincide with this exhibition here
Prelude
Online exhibition in a virtual gallery, hosted by dot-art.co.uk 22 January-30 June 2021
Four-Dimensional Colour
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 10-24 September 2016 – a Liverpool Biennial Fringe exhibition
Two-person exhibition
Expression Through Colour
Liverpool Cathedral, 7 September-28 October 2020 (organised by dot-art Gallery)
Blog post about my work and this exhibition here
Three-person exhibition
Music and Making
An exhibition by three abstract artists for whom music plays an important part in their artistic practice
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool. Originally scheduled for March-May 2020 but cancelled due to the pandemic.
Group exhibitions
2023
Southport Palette Club 5th Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 30 September-25 November 2023
Liverpool Art Fair
Royal Liver Building, Liverpool, 30 June-20 August 2023
Sefton Open Exhibition 2023
The Atkinson, Southport, 01 April-13 May 2023
2022
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 25 November 2022-28 January 2023
Southport Palette Club 4th Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 17 September-26 November 2022
Sefton Open Exhibition 2022
The Atkinson, Southport, 09 April-21 May 2022
2021
Southport Palette Club 3rd Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport, 11 September-27 November 2021
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition 2021
The Atkinson, Southport, 17 April-6 June 2021
2020
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival 2020 Open Exhibition
Warrington Museum and Gallery, 11 September-23 December 2020
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition 2020
The Atkinson, Southport, 18 April-4 July 2020
'Nice to see you, to see you, nice' - University of Chester Staff and Alumni Exhibition
CASC Gallery, Chester, 24 January-12 March 2020
2019
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery and The Metquarter, Liverpool, November 2019-January 2020
Southport Palette Club 1st Invitation Exhibition
The Landing Gallery, The Atkinson, Southport. 28 September-23 November 2019
MA Fine Art Exhibition
Kingsway Campus, University of Chester, 18-21 September 2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, 20 July-4 September 2019
Liverpool Art Fair
The Metquarter, Liverpool, 14 June-1 September 2019
93rd Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2019
2018
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2018-January 2019
Lancashire Open Exhibition – Student Prizewinner
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2018
Liverpool Art Fair
The Pier Head Village, Liverpool Waterfront, July-September 2018
2017
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2017-January 2018
Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2017
Liverpool Art Fair
The Pier Head Village, Liverpool Waterfront, July-September 2017
Liverpool Open Exhibition
Editions Ltd., Liverpool, June-July 2017
91st Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2017
2016
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2016-January 2017
West Lancashire Open Exhibition
Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk, July-September 2016
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, May 2016
Dear Liverpool exhibition
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, February-April 2016
2015
90th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2015
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, 2015
11th Open Art Exhibition
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 2015
2014
89th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2014
Artist in Residence
Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres Artist in Residence
September 2023-February 2024
Wirral Arts Festival 2022
1-15 October 2022
Wirral Arts Festival 2021
2-16 October 2021
Site-specific installation
‘Ensemble’ (78 paintings) and ‘Inchromental’ (12 paintings)
Southport College Gallery, January 2015
Collaborative work
Enchanted Forest (Synaesthesia 175) [after Benito-Gutiérrez and Pollock]
Shown online as part of IN)cógnito#1
Lockdown collaboration with Isabel Benito-Gutiérrez (composer).
The video I made of myself painting – responding and experimenting in colour to Isabel’s earlier composition ’Enchanted Forest (After Pollock)’ – became the score for her new piece ‘(IN)chanted Forest’ for solo flute.
The video of my painting can be seen alongside the performance of the music on YouTube
New Music Manchester Festival 2019: Incógnito#2
Premiere performance of a collaborative composition by Isabel Benito-Gutiérrez (composer), Ali Barker and Roland Keogh (visual artists). The video of the abstract painting created jointly by Ali and Roland became the score for the performers on piano and tuba.
Photo of the performance on Instagram, with the video of the painting projected on the wall
COMPETITIONS
Winner of Merseytravel’s Art on the Network 2011 competition ‘Design a New Skyline’ for the Queensway (Birkenhead) Tunnel, Merseyside.
‘Liverpool Composition’ and ‘Wirral Composition’ are on permanent display inside the Birkenhead Tunnel:
https://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Merseyside/Wirral/CH60/News/Local-News/214956-Mersey-Tunnel-Refurbishment-Fit-For-a-Queen
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/artwork-incorporated-mersey-tunnel-refurbishment-3356267
PRESS
Cover image and artist interview in UPPERCASE magazine issue #56
Published in December 2022, this issue of the quarterly print magazine inspired by craft, design and illustration has one of my expressive paintings as the cover artwork and includes an in-depth interview about my artistic practice.
uppercasemagazine.com
uppercasemagazine.com/products/uppercase-56-single-copy
uppercasemagazine.com/pages/simple-store-finder
Uppercase issue 56 flip-through video on Vimeo
Featured Artist, dot-art Gallery, December 2022:
dot-art.co.uk/2022/12/22/in-the-studio-ali-barker/
Cass Art interview blog post about my artistic journey and practice, to coincide with my Cass Art exhibition 'Musicals to Mahler', June 2022:
www.cassart.co.uk/artist-feature-ali-barker/
Blog post about my work and the Expression Through Colour exhibition, September 2020:
dot-art.co.uk/2020/09/29/qa-with-ali-barker-nathan-pendlebury/
Featured Artist Interview for ArtInLiverpool.com, September 2016:
https://www.artinliverpool.com/features/artist-blog/featured-artist-ali-barker-four-dimensional-colour/
Member of the editorial team for Hidden Gems
A free newspaper produced in 2016 by a group of artists and writers to highlight Liverpool’s independent and artist-led art scene:
issuu.com/hiddengems/docs/hidden_gems
PREVIOUS EDUCATION/CAREER
BPharm (Hons), Pharmacy. University of Bradford, 1991-95
(Registered as a Pharmacist 1995-2015)