Lin Barrie, Artist….

Born in Zimbabwe, 1959. Third generation Zimbabwean.
Expressing her hopes, fears and love with paintbrush, pen, and palette knife, Lin responds to the world around her. She believes that the essence of a landscape, person or animal can only truly be captured by direct observation. That exploration can then grow into a meaningful abstraction, whether as painting, poetry, art or film/fashion installation.

Lin immerses herself in her surroundings, in the people and the environment surrounding her. Whether painting figures or landscape, dancers or rhinos, shells or African wild dogs, Lin strives for abstract emotion, heartfelt impression. Telling stories, ngano, with her painted landscapes, assemblages and fibre collages, Lin’s art inspires her poetry, and her poetry inspires her art. Lin’s love of the natural world, her respect for diverse human cultures, her sense of community, her committment to conservation, leads to her mantra: #all things connected and #artforimpact!

She states, “I feel an intimate connection with the natural world, with people, ecosystems.  All things are interconnected for me. From field and life drawings, I create paintings, collage and monotypes on canvas and paper, using hand collected earth pigment, clay, charcoal, plant dyes, fibres, found objects, beads, recycled trash, oil and acrylics. My art tools are a treasured old palette knife inherited from my father, my fingers and various found objects used as pens and brushes to create expressive marks - objects such as twigs collected underneath trees, old credit cards, bird feathers, plastic waste, lala palm fronds which have been chewed by elephants, or larger ‘brushes’ such as my traditional village broom (mutsvairo/svielo).”

Biology and Literature were passions for Lin during her school years. Plans to enter the world of science were superseded by the decision to pursue the path, the Budula, of an artistic career!

After completing a three year Fine Art Diploma in printmaking, (with painting, life drawing, ceramics, sculpture and art history), at Durban Univerity of Technology in 1980, Lin worked as a textile designer and visualiser in Zimbabwe, often traveling to Europe and the Far East.
1991, after returning to Zimbabwe from the Far East, and having explored Chinese brushstroke painting and Indonesian batik, Lin became a full time fine artist.
2010, Lin attended a Creative Writing course mentored by J.M. Coetzee, University of Cape Town.
2011, Lin attended a monoprint residency with The Artist’ Press, White River, South Africa.
2024, Lin attended an “Ochre” workshop at Wits University, Origins Museum, with Ann Gollifer. 2024, Lin sits on the Mahlanga, (Gaza Trust) board, a corridor for community conservation and culture in Southe East Zimbabwe.

Lin has a wide-ranging art practice, believing that art can be impactful for social, cultural and environmental good. Collaborating with her daughter Kelli Barker, (Make up and Body artist) and Johnson Zuze, (wire/found objects artist) in an ongoing art journey (“Burnt Offerings Collective”); and with various other fellow creatives such as Richard Mudariki (ArtHARARE), musician Hope Masike, Danayi Madondo (Haus of Stone), Jasper Mandizera (Ivhu Tribe), Obscura Media, and the craftspeople of Mahenye Village, Lin and her collaborators use Painting, Body Art, Make Up, Poetry/Music/Film, Photography, Dance, Fashion, Beading and the Spoken Word (Ngano) to create multi-layered art exhibitions, film and art performances.

These collaborations often benefit rural communities, childrens’ charities, cultural programmes, environmental conservation and biodiversity/sustainability programmes.

Lin Barrie lives in the GLTFCA, (Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area), the south east wilderness of Zimbabwe, with her life partner Clive Stockil, respected conservationist and ardent spokesman for rural communities. Harare, the Save Valley Conservancy and Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge/Mahenye Village/Kaya Nyala are home/art studio bases for Lin, Clive and Kelli.