Mr Dabb was born in New Zealand and is believed to currently live and work in Tauranga.
He graduated from Auckland University with a BA majoring in Art History and Anthropology and from Auckland Secondary Teachers College with a Diploma in Teaching in Visual Arts.
"Influenced by his travels throughout Polynesia, Barry Dabb's recent paintings explore the nature of the cultivated, tropical garden," the announcement said.
"While the lush, verdant foliage may be seen to pay homage to a 'natural wild' the presence of species that are often not indigenous to a particular place allows for a critical engagement with issues of colonisation and cultural assimilation.
"Dabb draws his imagery from photographs taken on site and builds his paintings in oil on canvas with a smooth and considered motion.
"The naturalistic treatment of colour and light thus celebrates the life and richness of these cultivated environments while alluding to the passage of time, both through the physicality of the painting process and the development and adjustment of the Island Nations these gardens represent.