Barry was born in Dungannon, Ireland. He studied Graphic Design at Ulster University before moving to London in 2006 and began representation with Heart in 2007. He now lives and works in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Whilst Barry can produce very realistic drawings, his illustrations are far from a matter of recreating reality, they depict the virtually impossible in an understated way. He works with a variety of pen, pencil, paint and found materials. Sections of a drawing are created individually and then assembled on the computer like a digital collage. Texture and vibrant, saturated colours are a hallmark of his work. Facial expressions, nuances of gesture or posture allow for the creation of a complex personality within the context of a ‘simple’ drawing. Barry’s love of drawing animals and flora is apparent in much of his work. Particularly and most often birds are used as metaphorical devices.
The potential of what can exist in an artwork by Barry has been employed by a variety of clients from corporate brochures for Aviva, to advertising campaigns for Merk Pharmacueticals. He works regularly with The Guardian, Newsweek and The Financial Times, creating lateral responses to seemingly impenetrable subjects such as ‘political austerity’. His aptitude at finding a compelling visual to accompany an abstruse subject, has led to work for The Lancet medical journal, covering gastroentology and respiratory medicine. Barry has been proud to have the opportunity to work for the World Wildlife Fund as one of his commissions. As well as editorial, corporate and advertising work, Barry has also produced books cover for Faber & Faber, Random House and Macmillan and illustrated short stories in The New Yorker.
Select Client List
Aviva, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Boston Globe, Crédit Agricole, Esquire, Faber & Faber, The Financial Times, Forbes, Institutional Investor, Jewish Quarterly, Johns Hopkins Health Review, The Guardian, Harper’s Magazine, Harper Collins, HHMI, The Lancet, Literaturen Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Macmillan, Merk Pharmaceuticals, The New Yorker, New York Observer, Newsweek, Presbyterian Record, Random House, The Spectator, The Times, The Woodland Trust, World Wildlife Fund
© 2024 Heart Agency
Design and build by Josh Attwood Studio
