CV
ALI BARKER
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
Solo exhibition
Four-Dimensional Colour
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 10-24 September 2016 – a Liverpool Biennial Fringe exhibition
Solo exhibition and mini residency
Music. Colour. Paint.
Arena Studios and Gallery, Liverpool, Summer 2020 POSTPONED – NEW DATES TBC
Two-person exhibition
Expression Through Colour
Liverpool Cathedral, 7 September-4 October 2020 (organised by dot-art Gallery)
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, Spring 2020 POSTPONED UNTIL 2021 – NEW DATES TBC
Group exhibitions
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival 2020 Open Exhibition
Warrington Museum and Gallery, 11 September-20 December 2020
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/sefton-open-2020/ 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
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery and The Metquarter, Liverpool, November 2019-January 2020
Southport Palette Club 1st Invitation Exhibition
The Landing, 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, 14th June-1st September 2019
93rd Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2019
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2019-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
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
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
90th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2015
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, 2015
11th Open Art Exhibition
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 2015
89th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2014
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
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)
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
Solo exhibition
Four-Dimensional Colour
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, 10-24 September 2016 – a Liverpool Biennial Fringe exhibition
Solo exhibition and mini residency
Music. Colour. Paint.
Arena Studios and Gallery, Liverpool, Summer 2020 POSTPONED – NEW DATES TBC
Two-person exhibition
Expression Through Colour
Liverpool Cathedral, 7 September-4 October 2020 (organised by dot-art Gallery)
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, Spring 2020 POSTPONED UNTIL 2021 – NEW DATES TBC
Group exhibitions
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival 2020 Open Exhibition
Warrington Museum and Gallery, 11 September-20 December 2020
Sefton Open ONLINE Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport https://www.theatkinson.co.uk/events/sefton-open-2020/ 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
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery and The Metquarter, Liverpool, November 2019-January 2020
Southport Palette Club 1st Invitation Exhibition
The Landing, 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, 14th June-1st September 2019
93rd Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, April-May 2019
The Liverpool Collection
dot-art Gallery, Liverpool, November 2019-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
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
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
90th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2015
Liverpool Art Fair
The Gallery, Liverpool, 2015
11th Open Art Exhibition
Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 2015
89th Sefton Open Exhibition
The Atkinson, Southport, 2014
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
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)