Art Madrid'24 – Ana Barriga

Ana Barriga

Jeréz de la Frontera, 1984

In her work she tries to strike the balance between reason and emotion, two seemingly contradictory areas that create a type of energy she is interested in when they meet. She tries to focus on fun environments, a place shared by artists and children where prejudices are left behind and the most unexpected parts of ourselves come to the surface. Humour, play and irony are all ways of seeing reality in a different and unexpected way, of breaking the norm. It is from here that unpredictable situations emerge, situations that are new and attractive because they do not fit the rules. She does everything she can to learn something new every day. Her work is inspired by passion but also by knowledge. She is dedicated to studying painting, a language with a profound tradition and the place in which she thrives.

Play is very important in both her work and her way of working. This idea can be found in three areas: 1) in the elements represented: the majority are children's pieces, decorative objects or objects used in everyday life. 2) in the way in which she works with and shapes said elements: she paints, breaks, disfigures, assembles or combines them in some kind of way, as though she were playing with them. And 3) in the way in which she approaches a piece: she tests, erases, paints again, modifies and even covers it with spray as though she were vandalising her own work.