Alvaro Barrington (b. 1983, Caracas, Venezuela) is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose work weaves together painting, textiles, found materials and cultural narrative. Raised between the Caribbean and Brooklyn, he draws on his mixed Grenadian and Haitian heritage to explore themes of migration, community, identity and memory.
Although he began primarily as a painter, Barrington’s practice spans a loose hybrid crossing of media: he incorporates burlap, yarn, concrete, clothing, postcards, wood, and stitched elements into his canvases and installations. His work often references Caribbean flora, carnival culture, hip-hop traditions, and figures such as Marcus Garvey, blending personal gestures with collective history.
Barrington’s early breakthrough came with a solo presentation at MoMA PS1 in 2017, in which he recreated his London studio inside the gallery. Since then he has exhibited widely across Europe, the United States and beyond. In 2024, he was commissioned by Tate Britain for a major three-part installation titled Grace, drawing attention to the emotional dimensions of place, family and cultural memory.
He maintains a strong focus on community engagement: he has been active with Notting Hill Carnival, producing floats and public art interventions, and often approaches exhibition-making as a shared, relational process.