Hayley Barker (b. 1973) was raised in Oregon, lives and works in Los Angeles, California. She received her BA from the University of Oregon and her MFA from the University of Iowa. Her psychological self-portraits revolve around a daily process of drawing in bed, “beddrawing,” wherein the stuff of dreams, lingering mundane thoughts, desires, and the spirit world overlaps. From this practice comes frenetic, gestural, intimate mixed media drawings and oil paintings on panel that include text. Barry Schwabsky writes, “Her visionary paintings are relentless storms of mark-making that always have a face; it might evade your glance or stare you down.” Since moving to LA in 2015 she has shown at venues such as The Pit, Abode, Big Pictures LA, and Bozo Mag. In January 2018, she released the second edition of Vintage Self Help (2017), her first book of essays focusing on trauma, healing, art, and shamanism, published with Williamson + Knight in Portland, Oregon. Her solo shows have been reviewed and featured in Art in America, The Curate LA Blog, LA Weekly, and Visual Art Source Online. Her flat file project, The Barker Hanger, debuted at Odd Ark LA in April 2018, showing the work of over 55 local and national artists, and introduced a casual ritual revolving around sharing works on paper. This May she will have a one-month residency at the mobile gallery, Gas, culminating in a wall drawing, part of the summer group exhibition, “Take care,” which will travel to BBQLA and Hilde Gallery. She lives in East Hollywood and paints in Glassell park.