Michael Barber is an Upper Mohawk artist living in Port Dover, ON. His work explores his past and the lives of those close to him, including the residential school system and the direct effect it has had on his family. Loss of culture, language and identity are all explored through mixed media paintings and sculptures. His current work explores the concept of birds as messengers that report back to broken mothers; Mothers of children who were taken by the Government and church, some as young as four years old, many of them never to return.

Barber’s compositions are physical, alluring and intriguing. Thick, chipped, scratched and blistered layers of pigment along with splashes of resin create marvelous worn textures. Starting with mahogany plywood, Barber uses resist techniques for paint application, where he gouges and scratches the work with many different types of hand tools. Exposing earlier layers through this practice helps to create a sense of time, and it demonstrates the dilemma of exposure versus protection.

 Barber’s work is included in collections throughout Canada and the US. including the Ontario Trillium Foundation in Toronto and the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford. In 2022, Barber collaborated with The Tragically Hip and Song Word Art House for the Echoes of the Flame exhibition in Bracebridge, ON where funds went on to support the construction of a Mohawk language School. Over the past year, Barber has been painting murals in schools in with the help of students and staff. Described as “reconcile-Action”, Barber has enjoyed the partnership of creating with others and having conversations about the residential school system.