Barry was born in Dunnottar in 1949 from Scottish and Afrikaans decent. He was educated in Zambia and has lived in Cape Town since the early 1970s. He is married, has a son and daughter and two grandchildren.

He started his career in the advertising industry but after a few years became dissatisfied with the corporate world and in 1982 into went freelance as an illustrator servicing the advertising world. During this time he also worked as a philatelic illustrator for the GPO designing award winning stamps and First Day Covers for RSA and Namibia.

While commissions from the advertising industry and the GPO paid the bills, the desire to create his own art persisted and he discovered an interest in sculpture, knowing immediately that this was what he should do. However sculpture being a very difficult career to get established in, he worked both careers simultaneously for many years until confident enough to drop the illustration and concentrate his time fully on sculpture. He has been a full-time sculptor for almost 20 years.

His sculpture style is described by galleries as representational or as he prefers to call It, realistic. The subjects vary from wildlife, to figure work and to ethnic Africa with the San people of Southern Africa a particular favourite.

Barry's work is renowned internationally and can be seen in boardrooms and reception areas of companies, private collections and game lodges throughout the world including the President's Residence in Cape Town.

Xhanti Mpakama grew up in rural South Africa in the Transkei. He soon showed a natural artistic talent having been keen on sculpturing from an early age making figurines from clay.

Much of his inspiration comes from the environment of his youth. This was influenced by the annual migration of men to the gold mines which often caused great hardship to the women and children left at home.

With names like Smoking Grandmother, Mother and Child, African Man and Shepherd Boy , Xhanti's memories and imaginative ideas are brought to life in sculptures that are both beautiful and sensitive to his heritage.

Today, he is mentored by Warren Knight of Sculpture Casting Services. Xhanti designs his work in clay or wax, which is then cast in bronze. His art is available from selected outlets, and he exhibits regularly. One of his first sculptures, an old man bearing a load of worries on his shoulders, is displayed in the Lwandle Migrant Labour Museum.

Xhanti now lives and works in Asanda Village, Nomzamo - a township in the Helderberg Basin, near Cape Town. He has had the honour of being commissioned to produce a number of sculptures for the National Heritage Trust.