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Barry Burdeny was born on December 24, 1943, and grew up in Vita, a small community about 115 kilometres southeast of Winnipeg. He studied at Brandon University, graduating in 1968, followed by studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design, graduating in 1971. He received a Brooke Bond scholarship to attend the Slade School of Fine Art in London, United Kingdom, where he earned a master's degree in 1973. He also studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts in 1973.

Burdeny launched his career in the 1970s by writing handwritten letters to corporate presidents, introducing himself and his work. This approach led to sales to executives and corporations with art budgets, including TD Bank, RBC, Noranda Mines, EnCana, Trans-Canada Pipelines, and Great-West Life. In 1975, he sold work to Robin Korthalz of TD Bank. In 1991, the Union Bank of Switzerland acquired some of his artwork, and he subsequently made connections with SwissAir, which used his paintings depicting the four seasons on the airline's first-class menu cards.

Burdeny works in impressionistic and abstract styles, painting landscapes from locations including the High Arctic, the Prairies, Cozumel in Mexico, and Pangnirtung in Nunavut. He uses techniques employing brush and palette knife work in acrylics, creating both subtle gradations of color and heavy impasto textures. His more recent work includes an abstract "black-and-white series" influenced by Quebec's Les Automatistes, particularly Jean-Paul Riopelle and Paul-Émile Borduas. A 2009 visit to Shanghai as part of a delegation with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce provided inspiration for his newer paintings.

Burdeny has worked independently throughout his career without seeking grants from the Canada Council for the Arts or other government agencies. His works hang in private and corporate collections in North America, Asia, and Europe. He continues to work from his home in Westwood, Winnipeg, where he maintains a studio and displays his paintings.