Lin Barrie at The Showroom
On Friday 25 February 2022, Ellen and I had the pleasure of viewing Lin Barrie’s exhibit, REGENERATION, at The Showroom in Borrowdale, Harare. At the entrance of The Showroom, we were greeted with one of Lin’s latest pieces titled At the Market (Mixed Media - Charcoal & Acrylic). Immediately recognizable as Lin’s work, this piece vividly captures the dichotomous world we currently live in.
A woman pictured in muted tones wearing a face mask is surrounded by stunning flowers in vivid red, pink, yellow, and purple. The artificialness of the mask, a barrier between her and the stunning scents that surround her, keeping her from fully experiencing the world around her. As I stand before her, I recognize myself in that woman and I long to reach into the painting and pull down her mask so she can stop a while and “smell the roses.”
The Showroom in Borrowdale is an intimate space curated by Laura Tufts. The expert display of Lin’s work showcases her talent marvelously. Pangolin, Wild Dogs, To Touch or Not to Touch, are a few of my favorites. Lin dressed in a beautiful black and white African dress, designed by a friend of hers, embodies and expresses the spirit of creativity and collaboration, as she greets her guests and chats with them about her work and the inspiration behind her pieces. As a lover of art, Zimbabwe, and Africa as a whole, what a delightful way to spend an evening!
The art exhibit runs daily between 9am and 4pm until February 28, 2022. Do pop in and enjoy!
Lin Barrie is a contributing Artist and Poet in Mosi oa Tunya Literary Review. We will be featuring her in Issue #3 coming out soon. Check out her poem that accompanies her stunning piece At The Market!
Find out more about Lin Barrie at:
http://wildlifeandwilddogs.wordpress.com/art
@linbarrie
Find out more about The Showroom at:
showroomracecourse@gmail.com
@showroom_borrowdale_
LIN BARRIE Fine Artist
In the south east of Zimbabwe lies the Save Valley Conservancy, home to endangered black and white rhinos, African hunting dogs, elephants, buffalo, lion, and a host of other species. As an annex to the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, this lowveld area is also home to Lin Barrie and her life partner, Clive Stokil, recipient of The Prince Wiliam Award for Conservation in Africa, 2013. Based at Senuko Ranch in the Save Valley Conservancy and at Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge on the edge of Gonarezhou National Park, Lin and Clive share each others lives and are committed to the conservation of endangered wildlife, and community cultures.
Lin Barrie believes that the essence of a landscape, person, or animal can only truly be captured by direct observation. She immerses herself in her subjects - the wheeling constellations and moon phases of the night skies, the people, the drougts, veld fires and regenerating rains of Africa - all are inspiration to Lin in creating her works of art on canvas and handmade paper.
Lin says, “Whether we are, humans living in sprawling cities, dung beetles rolling our food stores, or monumental baobab trees thousands of years old, each of us has a vital role to play as strands in the greater web of life. Diversity and linkages between people, plants and animals are insurance for the furture of our earth.
She states, “I feel an intimate connection with the natural world, and I love traveling in the wilderness outposts of our world. From my field sketches, I create works on canvas, using oils and acrylics. I enjoy the immediacy of my preferred tool - an old palette knife inherited from my father, to create expressive strokes.
Lin Barrie’s work is in various collections in South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Australia, Europe, Canada, and the United States of America, and she collaborates with her daughter Kelli Barker, a professional Make-Up Artist, to create exhibitions combining her canvas artworks and Kelli’s body paintings.