PAGEANTS & PARADOX
A Private Viewing Invitation
You already know what beauty looks like.
This isn’t that.
Step into a world where the sequins fit, the smiles hold,
and nobody blinks first…
until they do.
Pageants & Paradox is a limited private showing of my young beauty queen painting series-
girls painted to perform perfection so convincingly,
you’ll start to wonder if you ever really believed it yourself.
Beauty, held long enough, starts to ache.
These works sit right on that line.
Some of what you’ll meet behind the velvet rope:
Pageants & Paradox doesn’t ask questions. It stands there smiling, daring you to notice what’s beneath the surface.
Perfect ribbons. Steady hands.
And the kind of beauty that starts looking heavier the longer you stare.
This series pulls you into that unnerving in-between-
where childhood is staged as ambition,
and nobody’s quite sure who’s winning.
Every painting holds its pose just long enough for you to wonder:
is she holding it together… or holding it in?
If you like knowing what the artist was thinking,
but you’d rather decide for yourself what it really means…
This one’s for you.
What You Can’t Quite Say, But Feel Anyway
Step into a collection that won’t tell you what to think- only leave you wondering why you can’t stop thinking about it.
More Than You’re Willing to Admit.
What you see says as much about you as it does about the art.
Notice what sticks. And what slips right past.
By Age 10, Most Girls Know the Script.
The beauty holds. The cracks do too.
Artist Tereza Barnard
The Surface Holds. The Story Slips Through.
I grew up in post-Communist Czech Republic, where beauty felt out of reach.
As a child, I watched the world shift almost overnight. One moment, we wore what was practical. The next, the West arrived with sequins, ruffles, and pageantry. It was ridiculous. It was fascinating. It was everything I had never seen before.
That fascination never left. My work begins with beauty. It always has.
But beauty, held too tightly, starts to strain.
Perfection, when overperformed, starts to ache.
What I paint looks polished on the surface. Opulent gowns. Deliberate brushwork. But underneath, there is tension. The mother. The child. The weight of what they both carry. The desire to hold it all together without letting anything slip.
My background in developmental psychology runs just beneath the paint. It shapes how I work. It shapes what I see. These paintings invite you to notice not just the surface, but the story you project onto it.
You’ll find beauty. You’ll find control. You’ll find just enough unease to wonder if it’s holding, or if it’s already falling apart.
Tereza Barnard (b. 1984) is a Czech-born oil painter based in Oxford, UK.
Her work blends technical precision with psychological tension, shaped by her background in developmental psychology from University College London.
She has exhibited internationally, including with Arcadia Contemporary at the LA Art Show and at the British Art Prize at London’s Oxo Gallery. Barnard’s paintings are held in private collections worldwide and have been recognised by the ARC Salon and ModPortrait juries.
FAQ
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The virtual exhibition offers a deeply immersive experience that allows you to step inside the gallery from anywhere in the world. You’ll navigate the space using arrows, much like walking through a physical gallery. You can view the paintings to scale, seeing their full size and absorbing their intricate details.
Beyond this, I’ve created a series of 7 videos exclusive to the exhibition:
Why Beauty Queens?: In this video, I explore the driving force behind my fascination with this subject matter and share personal stories about what inspired me to paint them.
Detailed Painting Insights: There’s one video dedicated to each of the five paintings in the series, delving into their emotional depth, symbolism, and technical execution.
Props & Brush Marks: A close-up look at the crowns and other props used, paired with footage that zooms in on the brushstrokes, giving you a tactile sense of the work.
These videos offer a rare opportunity to get to know me as an artist on a personal level. They are available only through this virtual exhibition, adding an intimate layer to the viewing experience.
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Some of The Beauty Queen paintings on display are available upon private request. However, as a collector attending this exhibition, you gain exclusive early access to upcoming pieces in the series. Should you be interested in acquiring any work or discussing commissions, you will have direct access to my team.
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This isn’t just a slideshow of artworks—it’s a fully interactive experience. You’ll be able to see the Young Beauty Queen paintings in context, true to scale, and virtually explore the space as though you're walking through a private gallery.
The exclusive videos let you step into my studio and my mind, creating a deeper connection to each piece. Nowhere else do I show my face or share this much of my artistic process, making this experience truly unique.
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This exhibition is designed for collectors who are looking for more than just visual art. It's for those who want to understand the layers of emotion, intention, and symbolism behind each brushstroke. If you’re drawn to works that evoke introspection and challenge societal narratives—especially around the themes of beauty, identity, and power—this exhibition will speak to you. It’s an opportunity to own that intimate connection to both the art and the artist.
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The Beauty Queen series delves into the psychological complexities of perfection, competition, and societal pressure. It’s a commentary on the fragile balance between beauty and power, the weight of expectations, and the personal costs hidden behind a crown. Through each painting, I explore the vulnerability of these girls, as well as the universal human experience of striving for something that may never be fully within reach.
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Given the exclusive and digital nature of this virtual exhibition, all sales are final, and refunds are not offered.
This exhibition is a carefully curated experience, designed with the discerning collector in mind. Each element, from the interactive gallery to the behind-the-scenes videos, has been thoughtfully crafted to provide a unique, intimate connection to the artwork and the artist.
The personal insights, rare footage, and exclusive content you’ll have access to are not available anywhere else, ensuring that this is a one-of-a-kind experience.. By purchasing your ticket, you’re investing in both the art and the creative process behind it, an opportunity that doesn’t often repeat itself.
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This virtual exhibition is a curated, immersive experience.
The nominal fee supports the time, effort, and artistry invested in creating an intimate connection between you and the work.
You’re not only gaining access to the exclusive exhibition but also a series of unique, never-before-seen artist videos that delve deeply into my process, inspirations, and the personal stories behind each painting.
The small cost ensures that this exhibition remains an exclusive and meaningful experience for those truly invested in exploring the art on a deeper level
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This is just an “IT thing”. What’s behind the paywall is an area we can continuously update as new paintings get finished and we want you to be able to revisit it and see the new paintings. The easiest way to do that is through setting up this exhibition as a “membership” to which you can login any time you want and revisit it any time you wish through the login button in the top menu of this website. The entry fee is a one time fee only, there are no repeat payments, just benefits to this being set up as a membership.
Testimonials
Unlock an intimate journey into the world of art with exclusive access to "Pageants and Paradox," a virtual exhibition. Experience each oil painting's emotional depth through detailed artist commentary and uncover hidden stories in behind-the-scenes videos. As a bonus, access my Collector Portal for a personal view of artworks in progress. & get access to my collector portal- a private section of my site through which you can view videos of what's currently on the easel.
An example of a video from the show
Here is an example video with an artist’s commentary from the virtual show. As a bonus, with access to this virtual show you will also gain unlimited access to my exclusive Collector Portal, a private part of my website which contains a library of videos featuring what’s on my easel in progress. These videos and other exclusive content of the Collector Portal benefit from regular future updates and are not available anywhere else. They are just for you.
You’ll get a notification each time a new video gets uploaded onto the Collector Portal and if you ever wish to cancel, you’ll simply just click the unsubscribe button.
This is an opportunity for art lovers who cherish and enjoy personal access to the art as it is made. Collectors and art lovers who wish to know the personal stories that inspired the art and like getting to know the artist who makes it.