About Barry & Lumo

After a stint at Cartoon Network as a storyboard artist and ident creator, Barry Reigate shifted focus to pursue his own artistic vision. His mixed media paintings—layering collage, spray-paint and airbrush—have been exhibited internationally, including at Tate Britain, Saatchi Gallery (London), the Hermitage (St. Petersburg), and the South Gallery of Australia.

From his London studio, Barry continues to develop his practice, with a key focus on his long-standing character, Lumo. Drawn for over two decades and shaped by influences like Tim Burton and Dr. Seuss, Lumo embodies Barry’s personal journey through creativity. During the lockdown five years ago, Barry began focusing more on Lumo, drawing parallels between the character’s search for belonging and his own experience as an artist growing up.

When Lumo was introduced to the director of Chickenshed Theatre—who proposed using the character in workshops to explore imagination and self-love—it sparked a deeper vision. Barry saw potential in Lumo as a positive, accessible figure to engage young people, particularly those who might feel creatively inhibited or overlooked. With cuts to arts education and limited access to cultural spaces, Lumo became a joyful way to bridge that gap—offering warmth, creativity, and permission to be expressive.

More than a cartoon, Lumo is a creative friend—one who helps others reconnect with imagination, play, and their own inner voice. As Barry puts it:
"Lumo was born from my imagination, to light up the imagination in everyone else. To luminate the creativity and love within us all—through storytelling, humour, and art."