Barry Sykes - "Zero Candle" 2026
painted bronze
9.4 cm x 5.8 cm x 0.8 cm
Barry Sykes is a London-based contemporary artist associated with Blackhorse Lane Studios in Walthamstow, East London, where he works as part of the Barbican Arts Group Trust (BAGT) studio community. He is listed as a resident artist at Blackhorse Lane Studios.
Born in 1976, Sykes lives and works in London. His practice spans sculpture, drawing, performance, installation and socially engaged projects.
The boundaries between art, teaching and performance underpin his practice. He is best known for a wide-ranging, often playful and experimental practice that explores ideas such as; absurdity, humour and awkwardness. His work often invites
participation and audience interaction focusing on systems of behaviour and social ritual.
A key strand of his work is his long-running “Animals in Wire” project, in which he constructs life-sized animal forms using chicken wire. This has become one of his most recognisable bodies of work and has also led to commissions and collaborative installations. His broader practice also includes; Laughter Yoga workshops and participatory performance, drawing and object-based installations, experimental “systems” such as games, lectures, and guided activities that involve audiences directly
Sykes often works in a deliberately open, process-led way, describing his work as exploring how people behave in unfamiliar or slightly awkward situations, and how meaning emerges through participation rather than fixed interpretation.
He has exhibited and worked with institutions and organisations including:
Museum of London, Focal Point Gallery (Southend), Art Night (London) and various universities and art schools across the UK