Ana  Barrientos

In 2021, I came across Ana’s work on the internet and although only seeing a few paintings I was intrigued enough to reach out for a studio visit. The combination of naivety and inherent sophistication woven into her childhood memories immediately prompted me to offer her an exhibition. - Julie Collins

 About Ana:

Born during the 1960s, Ana Barrientos and her five siblings were introduced to the world in the beautiful, but unforgiving, volcanic hills of rural El Salvador. Hardship was just one aspect of life on the land, where itinerant work and the mechanics of just living were the focus of most days. Depressive it was not however, and for Ana, the chance to play with others and indulge in exploration of her regional Utopia was the highlight of her childhood. These memories remain strong, and underpin the inspiration for her current artwork.

Ana’s first steps into her world of art began as a young child, using black pencil and an exercise book. Those closest to her, the nearby haciendas and a vibrant tropical jungle all succumbed to her imagination and rendition on paper – although it was not until a coloured pencil set was won in a raffle, that at age 14, she was finally able to express herself in colour.

Wonderful times with her grandmother feature in Ana’s life, like helping to gather clay so that crockery could be handcrafted on the banks of a nearby creek. Watching as her grandmother washed clothes in the waterway and listening to stories while they worked were special times indeed. Stories of the Mayan civilisation and family journeys to the half-buried ruins, just an hour’s walk away, encouraged an awareness of her place in this fascinating country.

With Ana’s mother being the sole breadwinner, academic life was compromised. Intermittent schooling was the most she could hope for, as caring for her younger brothers, lugging water to their house, making tortillas, and preparing dinner were just part of life’s reality for a young girl. Those responsibilities in her formative years came with many stories and recollections that feature strongly in her artwork.

Despite the terrors of civil war that gripped El Salvador over the next 12 years or so, Ana and her family remember a lot of good times and contentment with village life. However, when the chance arose, the family fled to Mexico, abandoning everything and buying their way across the border. Some months later her family arrived in Australia for a new life, and indeed, a new way of life.

Now settled in regional Victoria with her husband Murray, Ana has once again reached out to art, and this recent body of work is indeed a love letter to El Salvador as Ana has delved into her childhood to recreate her most cherished memories.

Recent Exhibition Catalogue