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Born in Ireland in 1986, Kyle Barnes uses oil paints on canvas to create hyperrealistic portraits with such precision that many observers initially assume they are viewing a photograph. But in his work Barnes goes far beyond just the desire for perfect craftsmanship. He understands his portraits as a commentary on the constant change that man is subjected to on his way through life and of which he is shaped not only as a person, but also externally shaped.
Thus the faces of the people in Barnes' often large-scale works are also clearly marked by the traces of life, and this on two levels: life has impressed its mark on the physiognomy, on the facial expression, the texture of the skin, the features around the eyes and the corners of his mouth, and in this way has grown together with him and become an inseparable part of him.
The drawings of life can be found in numerous motifs by Barnes, but also in the now characteristic for him marks of color on the surface of the skin - in face and hair, on hands and arms. This application of color within the motif can be read as a superficial, washable, yet reversible effect of life, which begins to impress itself on the skin and merge with the human being.
In order to achieve the desired effect, the artist, now living in the British city of Southampton, is particularly interested in the surface structure of the skin and hair and uses the fabric of the canvas when painting to achieve a deceptively realistic depiction.
This quality has earned him numerous awards including the National Open Art Competition's Towry Award 2012 and the 2014 Young Artist Award and the People's Choice Award from the Royal Ulster Academy Belfast. His works can be found in numerous public and private collections and are discussed in renowned art publications.