Philip Barlow South African, b. 1968

Philip Barlow was born in 1968 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. He has a passion for light, colour, and the drama that unfolds in a city. After 16 years of painting in the same style, he feels as though he has refined and perfected what he began exploring so many years ago.

Philip reminds us that even in a broken world, where people often have lost hope, where corruption is rife and cynicism dwells, there remains a possibility for hope amongst the beauty that still exists. His primary intention is to lift the eyes and to elevate a moment that is seemingly ordinary. He endlessly discovers and explores the beauty and sublime in the mundane. He uses his camera to capture that elusive moment when the magic happens and shape, form and colour dance like jewels. He plays with abstraction but continues to explore realism and keeps us close to the recognizable, his intention is never to alienate but to rather invite the viewer into the image.

Philip sees the photograph he takes like a muted film and the completed painting as the same film with sound and music.

Barlow graduated in 1990 from the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth with a Diploma of Graphic Fine Art (Printing, Stained Glass and Photography). He has shown in numerous exhibitions locally, as well as in the USA and in Greece. Barlow currently lives and paints in Riebeeck Kasteel in the Western Cape.