Barbara Tribe

Barbara Tribe (1913–2000) was an Australian-born artist who spent most of her career in Cornwall. She is regarded as a significant twentieth-century portrait artist, working both in painting and sculpture.

Personal life Tribe was born in the suburb of Edgecliff, Sydney to English parents.

Education Tribe first studied at the Sydney Technical College from 1928 to 1933, joining when she was 15 years old and was awarded the Diploma in Sculpture, with Honours. After travelling to England, Tribe first attended the Kennington City & Guilds School of Art in 1936–1937 before being accepted into the Regent Street Polytechnic School of Art. During her time at the Sydney Technical College, she studied under English born sculptor, Raynor Hoff, and her figure work at this time was heavily influenced by him. After she received her diploma, she worked as Hoff's assistant and worked on the Hyde Park war memorial in Sydney with him.

In 1943, Tribe was commissioned by Australia House, London to produce busts of seven distinguished airmen from Australia. Also in the 1940s, she began exhibiting at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Royal Society of British Sculptors.

Tribe took up a part time teaching post at the Penzance School of Art after the war, and continued to teach there for over 40 years, retiring in 1988. Tribe was a member of Newlyn Society of Artists and St Ives Society of Artists. Group Exhibition by the Staff of the Penzance School of Art, Newlyn Art Gallery, July 1982 Alice to Penzance, the Mall Galleries, London, 19–29 July 1991 This vital flesh: the sculpture of Rayner Hoff and his school, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 26 November 1999–16 Jan 2000 Australian paintings 1895-2002 and the European influence, Nevill Keating Pictures Ltd., London, July–August 2002 The Elements within Sculpture, Lauraine Diggins Fine Art, Melbourne, 4 June–15 July 2011

Works held in public collections Artworks by Barbara Tribe are held in several public collections including the following works, sorted by year of creation. The unique ID no refers to the accession number or individual number given to each item by a gallery.

Legacy Tribe specified in her will that some of her works were to be sold in aid of setting up the Barbara Tribe Foundation. Administered by the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the aim of the foundation is to promote sculpture in Australia.