Addison Barker
Atlanta, GA
“Being neurodivergent comes with many obstacles, but I also know it is the very reason I would never give up on myself.”
Addison Barker (she/her/hers) creates highly intuitive, expressionist paintings that incorporate repetition, simplicity, and connection. Born in Illinois, she grew up with a box of crayons in hand. Over the years she has explored many mediums, which led her to abstract painting. As a neurodivergent individual, Addison is motivated by communicating through her art. She describes, “brushstrokes give life to emotions and experiences I cannot find the words for.” She also explains, “creativity for me encourages understanding and movement forward.”
With art as a vehicle of expression and growth, Addison continues to experiment, but also has distinct characteristics of her work. She prefers using acrylic paint because of its transformative nature and working on paper because of its simplicity. With a minimalist approach to materials, she prefers to use a minimal color palette and just a few varied brush sizes, which allows for concentrated, recognizable work.
Additionally, Addison works on multiple pieces at once, alternating her focus and letting the artwork intuitively emerge. Each piece builds on the others, as a feeling of summation is achieved. Speaking on this process, Addison explains, “that repetition in creating can still provide many different outcomes.” Methodical and expressionist, her process and style may seem contradictory, but find a way to mesh together beautifully.
She dreams of creating art with a bigger purpose, supporting social justice issues she is passionate about. “I love that art can speak in so many different ways. It can serve a true purpose and stand for something more,” Addison says. In her free time, she enjoys spending quality time with her husband, and their three children.
