Carlos Barrios was born on June 26th, 1966 in San Salvador, El Salvador, Central America. Today, he lives in Queensland, Australia, with his wife and two children.
“My father was an archaeologist and my mother a home maker who also worked in business. I had a childhood filled with visits to magical ancient places, pyramids and temples. As a child art was an important discovery, it came to me for the first time in a stone belonging to an ancient city. I was on an excavation site wondering around amongst fragments of ceramic, obsidian and stone. I picked up one small stone, rectangular in shape, and as I looked into it I saw many figures. I kept it, and could observe it for hours, this fragment seemed to contain a film of moving and changing figures.
“At about six years of age I discovered some pots of paint and brushes in my father’s workshop. As I moved the paint around with the brushes through my imagination I could see many things, I allowed my hand to follow and trace them. One afternoon I planned a surprise for my parents whilst they were not around I created a large mural on a long corridor wall and was very proud of my achievement. On their return I was ordered to scrub the wall until it was spotless. I then tried collage using pictures and textures cut from encyclopaedias and precious books, I was again reprimanded for my bad behaviour. I was not discouraged as my desire to create pictures of the world experienced was so strong. I began to keep drawing books where I recorded my experiences privately.
“My father was a collector of art and artefacts, I would stare into them and found myself transported to other dimensions, times and spaces. Everything was talking to me especially clouds and shadows, they seemed to describe a space between reality and fantasy, filled with adventures.
“The civil war began when I was ten and lasted over ten years. In this war time madness and normality coexisted. Many nights the electricity was cut and in the candle lit spaces of the house I saw creatures moving and watching us, so I would paint and draw them. As I worked I would watch my hand moving, creating the figures and creatures, I was the onlooker, the witness to this seemingly automatic unfolding of pictures, visual descriptions.
“From those moments until now, many years have brought new experiences, adventures, travels, people, places. Some moments filled to overflowing with inspiration and others empty, devoid of sensation. The best moments are those in connection with a pencil or a brush dancing over a piece of paper or canvas. Art makes me aware of different levels of existence within the universe, sometimes revealing many questions and other times great understandings.”
Education
1991 - 1992
National Art School
2005 to present
Full time artist
2018
Director at Mitchel Fine Arts, Brisbane, Australia
Solo Exhibitions
2019
Amor en el campo - love in the country side, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
Undefined Dreams, Mitchell Fine Arts, QLD, Australia
2018
New beginning, Tim Olsen Gallery, NSW, Australia
Fiesta, Aarwun Gallery, ACT, Australia
2017
Reveal Revelation, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
2016
Transcendence, Mitchell Fine Arts, QLD, Australia
2015
IN LAK’ECH, Wombat Hollow, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, NSW, Australia
POR AMOR - ABOUT LOVE, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
INLAK’ ECH (you are my other self), Wombat Hollow, Maunsell Wickes Gallery,NSW, Australia
Hola Aloha Hi, Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney, NSW, Australia
2014
Momentos, Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney, NSW, Australia
Allegory, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
Oneness - paintings and drawings, Bowral Gallery, NSW, Australia
2013
Solo show, Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney, NSW, Australia
2012
Solo exhibition, Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney, NSW, Australia
Ceramic show, Maunsell Wickes Gallery Sydney, NSW, Australia
Solo show, Goulburn Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia
2010
Memories, Passion y Lineas (memories, passion + lines), Loft gallery, NSW,Australia
2009
Figures & Lines, Gallery Bodalla, NSW, Australia
Into the Void, Painter's Gallery, NSW, Australia
2008
The Joy to Be Here, Bowral, NSW, Australia
Trazos, El Salvador, Central America
Homage a Neruda, NSW, Australia
Works exhibited at Miami Art Fair, Miami, USA
2007
Painter's Gallery Mona Vale, NSW, Australia
2006
Urban familia – solo exhibition at Wallspace Gallery Sydney
Personajes – solo exhibition at La Pinacoteca San Salvador
2005
DESNUDOS, ANGELES I ESPIRITUS, Bondi Pavilion, NSW, Australia
2003
Three Ways, Curtis Gallery, NSW, Australia
The Neglected Heart of Heaven, NSW, Australia
Five Standard Drinks, Kellman Winery, VIC, Australia
Transiciones, Fairfield Museum, NSW, Australia
Death the Last Tabou, The Australian Museum, NSW, Australia
2002
Sala Nacional de Exhibitiones, El Salvador, Central America
Amnesty International, TAP Gallery, Sydney
Don Adan Coffee House, NSW, Australia
Aroma Coffee Festival, NSW, Australia
Euroform, NSW, Australia
2001
Terramotus, Pescepalla Docks, New York, USA
Casa las Americas, Madrid, Spain
Museo National, El Salvador, Central America
Villa Nova Fine Art, El Salvador, Central America
2000
Central American Biennale, San Jose, Central America
La Galleria, Panajanchel, Atitlan Lake
Galeria de arte, San Cristobal las Casas
1999
Solo performance painting for Carnivale opening, Sydney Opera House, NSW, Australia
Tracking Art, posters of works shown in train stations in NSW, Australia
Latinoz, Bondi Pavilion, NSW, Australia
NSG Gallery, Aroma Coffee Festival, NSW, Australia
Game Over, TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst
1998
Relations Campbelltown Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia
HOUSE, TAP Gallery, Darlinghurst
Salvadorian Art Festival, NSW, Australia
Interbuilding - artist in residence, Melbourne Exhibition Centre, VIC, Australia
The Craven Cafe Glebe, NSW, Australia
Bacigalupo Cafe Newtown, NSW, Australia
Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool
1997
Australia Connection, Brussels, Belgium
Art Hop, Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney, NSW, Australia
Human and Others, AD 163 Gallery, NSW, Australia
Lake Macquarie Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia
Bondi Pavillion, NSW, Australia
Berrima Art Society, Berrima
Juntos, Kiama Art Gallery, Kiama
1996
Multifarius, Chrissie Cotter Gallery, NSW, Australia
Full House, Casa Gallery, Rozelle
Bank Nationale de Paris, Sydney
Project Belgium, Moss Vale Regional Gallery NSW
Viva, Project Contemporary Gallery, Wollongong
3 Tres, AD 163 Art Gallery, NSW, Australia
1995
Open Air, Centennial Park Art Exhibition, NSW, Australia
Fairfield Regional Heritage Centre, NSW, Australia
Mary Audrey Gallery, Liverpool, UK
100 Years of Solitude, Fourth Leaf Gallery, NSW, Australia
Group Exhibitions
2020
Summer Group Show, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
2019
Introducing new pieces from the collection, Newcastle Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia
Les Petits Travaux, Aarwun Gallery, ACT, Australia
Directors Choice, Mitchell Fine Arts, QLD, Australia
Petite, Mitchell Fine Arts, QLD, Australia
2018
DENFAIR Metro Gallery, Melbourne Convention Centre,VIC, Australia
Concerning peace, Maitland Regional Gallery, NSW, Australia
2017
Summer Group Show, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
Petite, Mitchell Fine Arts, QLD, Australia
2016
Summer group show, Metro Gallery, VIC, Australia
2015
Cock and bull, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, NSW, Australia
Maunsell Wickes at Wombat Hollow, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, NSW, Australia
2014
Blue horse, Korea
Wombat Hollow, Maunsell Wickes Gallery, NSW, Australia
2013
Group show at the New England Gallery
2012
Group show, Auto portrait Eccosse Gallery, NSW, Australia
Group show, El Salvador, Central America
Group show, Mudgge NSW, Australia
2010
Group exhibition, Maunsell Wickes Barry Stern Galleries, NSW, Australia
2009
Salon de Petits Tableaux, group exhibition, The Milk Factory,NSW, Australia
Creating the Body, group exhibition at Perl Contemporary Art, Vaucluse
Reflections of Australia, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
2008
Treasure of Seeds, International group exhibition, Jenolan Caves, NSW, Australia
Mosman, Group Exhibition, NSW, Australia
Group Exhibition, Washington DC, USA
Awards and Recognition
2013
Fisher Ghost Art Prize - Finalist
Assisting John Olsen in a large mural project
2012
Finalist for the Fisher Ghost Art Prize
2011
Plein Air Art Prize Parliament House - Finalist
2010
Modern Two-dimensional Liverpool City Art Prize for drawing- First Prize
Adelaide Perry Prize for drawing – Finalist
Plein Air Art Prize Parliament House – Finalist
2009
Modern Two – Dimensional, Liverpool City Art Prize
Plein Air Art Prize Parliament House - Finalist
Painting donation to Opera Australia Gala Dinner Fundraising Event
2007
Blake Prize Finalist with 'Compassion' at National School of Art
2006
Blake Prize Finalist with 'Flying Angel' at National School of Art
Sulman Prize Finalist with "Feeding Time" ArtGallery of NSW
2005
Sulman Prize Finalist with "Pushing the Pram" ArtGallery of NSW
2000
Spanish Cultural Centre, San Salvador - 3rd
Spanish Club Art Prize, Sydney - 1st & 2nd
Galvenstone, Texas - Mural
1999
Spanish Club Sydney - 1st prize
1997
Cultural Diversity Art Prize, Fairfield Gallery, Fairfield -1st prize
1995
Zacatecoluca Art Prize, El Salvador, Central America
Salvadorian Art Prize, El Salvador, Central America
Collections
Mosman Art Gallery, NSW, Australia
Maunsell Wickes
Barry Stern Galleries, NSW, Australia
TUE-FRI: 10 - 5
SAT: 11 - 5
or by appointment
