| Artist | Gina Barnes | Resides | United Kingdom |
| Medium | Oil on panel | ginabarnesart@gmail.com | |
| Follow the Artist | Themes | Nature Animals Symbolism Dark Surrealism Still Life Realism |
About the artist
Gina Barnes is a painter based in the East Midlands, currently pursuing an MA in Fine Art: Painting at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL. She previously earned a BA in Illustration from the University of Northampton, where she was awarded the PDRA Residency at NN Contemporary during her final year. This residency marked a pivotal shift in her practice, as she transitioned from acrylics to exploring the potential of oil paint. The experience provided a period of reflection and experimentation, enabling Gina to refine and expand her visual language. At Camberwell, she continues to challenge and develop the boundaries of her painting practice.
Gina Barnes is the 1st Prize Winner of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize,BearWolf Books Emerging Artist Award 2026
Artwork Themes & Subject Matter
Gina Barnes’ practice explores the uncanny and often surreal dimensions of our relationship with animals and nature. Her paintings employ symbolism, unexpected juxtapositions, and ornate detail to challenge familiar narratives and question how non-human life is perceived. Drawing from a lifelong fascination with both wildlife and domesticated creatures, Barnes reflects on the complexities of human–animal connections, highlighting the risks of misrepresentation in animal imagery.
Influenced by taxidermy traditions and the extravagance of vanitas art, her compositions embrace visual excess, layering symbolic richness with a sense of beauty and eeriness. Realism plays a crucial role in grounding these surreal assemblages, weaving together observational truth with imaginative strangeness. The result is a body of work that oscillates between oddity and elegance, inviting viewers to reconsider the boundaries between human and non-human life, and the narratives we construct around them.
Upcoming Exhibitions
| When | Exhibition | Gallery |
| November 2026 | Group exhibition: “Glimmer” curated by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine | Modern Eden Gallery San Francisco, USA |
CV
Education
2025 – 2026
MA Fine Art: Painting, University of Arts London, Camberwell
2022 – 2025
BA Illustration, University of Northampton, Northampton
Selected Group Exhibitions
2026
Camberwell College of Arts Postgraduate Show, Camberwell College of Arts, University of Arts London, London
MA UAL Fine Art Safehouse 1&2 Group show, Safehouse 1&2, Peckham Road, London
2025
3rd Annual Postcard Show, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, Oregon
Rare Phenomena, WOWxWOW, Online Gallery
Wild Card, Nanny Goat Gallery, Petaluma CA, United States
New Designers Show, Islington, Business Design Center
2025
Ascending Signals, WOW x WOW, Online Gallery
2024
Gems, Nanny Goat Gallery, Petaluma CA, United States
Good Vs Evil, Nanny Goat Gallery, Petaluma CA, United States
Ephemeral, Nanny Goat Gallery, Petaluma CA, United States
Send Me Across The Sea, Helvella, Oakland CA, United States
