Rest Is

ANDRE BARKER

Upcoming Exhibition: January 2026

“I wanted to create a series that captures the profound beauty of Black existence. Simply living, without external worry or care. This work is a meditation on taking up space, on being fully present, whether in connection with one another or by themselves.

Especially during a time of political unrest, it feels crucial to show Black people who are unbothered, existing fully within their own bubble. The colored borders around the figures are intentional; they are designed to push them out of the canvas and directly into our space.

This series is a celebration of Black people at rest, because true rest is an act of power, a peace of mind, a form of resistance, and a testament to our unwavering humanity. It is in this simple act of existing that we find our greatest strength.”

Andre Barker, 2025

ANDRE BARKER

Work Exhibitions Video Press

Andre Barker Jr. (b. 1997) is a figurative painter from Detroit, Michigan. He graduated summa cum laude with his BFA from Wayne State University in 2022 and earned his MFA from Columbia College Chicago in 2024. He currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the James Pearson Duffy Department of Art, Art History & Design at Wayne State University in Detroit, Ml, and is represented by M Contemporary Art.

Barker has received several accolades, including two Art Activity and Achievement awards from Wayne State University, a Dwight W. Follett Continuing Graduate Student Fellowship, and a Diversity and Inclusion Award from Columbia College Chicago. His work has been exhibited at The 3 Square Art gallery in Fort Collins, CO; The Buckham Gallery in Flint, MI; The KCAD Alluvium Gallery in Grand Rapids, MI; and The Detroit Historical Museum in Detroit, MI. In 2024, he held a solo show at M Contemporary Art in Ferndale, MI. He was also selected for the 2025 Judy Sigunick "fellowship in the Visual Arts at the Ragdale residency in Lake View, IL, and will be featured in New American Paintings, No. 179, Midwest Issue.

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