I'm Magno Barros. I create work which brings visibility to human experience.

In my hands, a story might become a photograph, a film, an exhibition, a piece of sound, an animation, a campaign or a completely different way to make people pay attention.

 

Where I started

Early in my career, I learned what art can do while running public forums that told the stories of young people, men and women whose human rights had been denied. Art brought light to darkness, reflection to complexity, attention to what had been overlooked, and access through locked doors. 
 

An unusually diverse life and career

I have adapted that approach to an unusually diverse life and career. 

I've worked in 3D animation and broadcast media, technology, led community and human rights programs, built an international education business, worked with government, and created storytelling projects with older adults and Indigenous Elders. I've lived on three continents, speak five languages and am passionate about other cultures.

 

Along the way I've worked in photography, film, editing, 3D and 2D animation, sound, writing and directing, and I keep experimenting with new technologies and creative forms. I also paint, draw and work with clay.
 

How I work

My approach always starts with people, and with listening. What interests me most is finding the story worth noticing, then working out how to make audiences notice it: retelling it in a form that's easy to understand, eye catching, and able to reach audiences it would traditionally never reach.

Whether an organisation needs people to understand something, or a community needs to be heard, I start looking for the human story and presentation format that will make people notice and care.