Barry Allikas was born in Montreal. In 1973, after studying film at Dawson College in Montreal, he began a career as a self-taught painter. Since his first solo exhibition in 1979, at Galerie 08 in Montreal, his work has been presented in Toronto, Ottawa, New York, France, Mexico, and Germany. Working in the tradition of the Plasticiens, Allikas produces compositions that push the expressive boundaries of hard-edge Geometric Abstraction. Allikas took part in residencies at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1983 and 1985, and has received several grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Québec Ministry of Cultural Affairs, and the Canada Council for the Arts. His paintings are part of numerous collections, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec.