TUJ Art Barbee was born in the USA and currently resides in Japan. She creates pieces based on her emotions and memories, which focus on her social anxiety and childhood traumas. Her mother is a professional artist, but Barbee was not inspired to pursue an artistic career until university. At university, she experienced oil painting for the first time and fell in love with the medium.
Theme: Social Anxiety
Top left to right: Social Anxiety, 2021, Woodblock print, 50 x 68 cm (Individual) // Ice Cream Social (Social Anxiety), 2022, Plastic, paper, wood, clay, 26 x 26 cm
Bottom left to right: Chess Set (Social Anxiety), 2021, Felt, wood, 25.5 x 25.5 cm //Anon (in a bento), 2022, Styrofoam, paper, wood, plastic, metal, clay, 12.5 x 19 cm
Painting: Portraits
Left to right: Model Session 1, 2021, Oil on board, 45.5 x 30 cm // Childhood (Self-Portrait), 2021, Oil on canvas, 61 x 61 cm // 3AM Window Reflection (Self-Portrait), 2021, Oil on paper
Painting: Memories
Top left to right: Color scheme from Pirates of the Caribbean 3 // I really wanted to cry, but I held it in // A sunset I stumbled upon with a friend // June 24, 2022 was a hot day and even as a Leo, I am not ready to burn // When I look up, I miss our walks to the park // 2022, Oil on board, 9.5 x 15 cm (Individual)
Bottom: I miss you, because now it is only me, 2022, Oil on board, 97 x 145.5 cm
Artist Statement
Regarding about Barbee:
I am a human. I am someone that feels emotions on a large scale, hence tears form easily in my eyes. But even through tear-filled eyes, I can see a lot, and of course, I feel a lot more. My social anxiety has made most situations hard as I feel unsure a lot of the time, no matter how close the relationship. This makes relationships hard and so I had few growing up.
Art is my way to open up and meet more people and even form stronger bonds with friends. Painting has made it easier to express my anxieties and traumas, as others seem to connect easier to a piece of art then in a conversation. My art can take on eerie-like appearance but fear not, as it is just looking for that connection that all things long for.
Just because it seems like negative feelings are being expressed, it does not mean I’m only feeling negative about whatever I am expressing. Feeling something negative should be normalized, as no human can constantly remain positive. This is just my way of processing and expressing my experiences. I hope you can find your method of expression as well.
For me, art is used to find a place of belonging and rid the feeling of loneliness. I am using art to become closer to others and let others and myself know that we are not alone in feeling these ways. Even though I have existed through 3 decades, like most my age and older, I feel unsure of where I stand in this world. As the world is big and therefore easy to feel lost, so art is the way I have chosen to navigate through it.