Elizabeth Barren
Mixed Media
“I just want to portray the beauty of this world, and women are the beauty of the world, they are fruitful and bear more splendor into it.” (Barren E.)
Elizabeth Barren (b.1970) is a Chicago native, though as a child she spent a substantial amount of time visiting relatives in the Southern states. A former student of IIT Institute of Design, Barren uses fashion as a pretext for flamboyant textures and collaged painting techniques, creating empathetic figures with an other-wordly style that alludes to the American longing for a glamorous life. Part portrait and part study, these images retain a fresh immediacy, while being meticulously produced. A savoir-faire and fashionable woman herself, Barren’s work corresponds closely to her personal aesthetic. Though her part-time job often leaves little time for the studio, she often works independently at home. Barren lives in Austin, Chicago and joined Project Onward in 2013.