Artist Statement

I am a visual artist, educator and ecologist blurring boundaries between place-based art, illustration, and mural art at small and large scales. The stories of wildlife extinctions and landscapes erased is a driving force behind my artwork, with messages of past, present, and future interdependence in question. The complex web of relationships between societies and the natural world of which we belong to and are a part of are inspiration to create works that encourage reflections of our collective relationships with our environments. As I learn about nature’s relationships, I am less blind to the world and it’s complexities. Nature is my tether to reality. Science is a process of understanding. Art is a process of becoming.

 

My work concerns human exploitation of nature and over-consumption, which have led to catastrophic mass animal and plant extinctions. From my largest works to my smallest, these are requests of the viewer to inquire about our relationships with animals, plants, and place.

 

I use multiple mediums based on the project at hand, from oils to watercolours, pencil, digital art, and mural painting. I am interested in creating site-responsive work in unexpected places for art which is how I began painting murals and reaching people who may not have engaged with environmentally themed art before. Featuring native wildlife in murals in urban spaces sparks surprise, and in rural spaces builds awareness and pride in protecting and preserving natural habitats.

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I work with communities as a small part of a much larger movement of people working to heal relationships with people and the environment, contributing to a more reciprocal future through art and ecology. I work on projects and exhibitions in rural and urban spaces, involving collaboration and public engagement programmes for diverse audiences.

My work has been supported and commissioned by 4Culture, Open Space for Arts and Community, Vashon Nature Center, The University of Washington, Olympic Coast National Marine Park, Tūhura Otago Museum, The University of Otago, The Tiaki Maniototo Project, amongst others.

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​Artist Bio

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Paulina Barry (she/her) is an illustrator and ecologist in Aotearoa New Zealand, who grew up catching the ferry between Vashon Island and Seattle, Washington. Paulina received her Bachelor of Arts and Science in 2018 from Western Washington University, where she studied Anthro-zoology and received her Masters in Science Communication from the University of Otago in 2024. Some of her clients include the University of Washington, Olympic Coast National Marine Park, Tuhura Otago Museum, University of Otago, Vashon Nature Center, and The Tiaki Maniototo Project.