Barry John MBE is a Welsh soldier and artist.[1] He served in the British armed forces for over 23 years.[2] In the 2010 New Years Honours List Barry John was awarded the MBE.[3][4] He is mainly an abstract artist.[5]
Barry John was born in Neyland, Pembrokeshire and was a pupil at Sir Thomas Picton School, Haverfordwest before joining the Army at the age of 16. His first posting to was to Hong Kong, and further postings to Korea, Malaysia, Jamaica, USA, Northern Ireland and Kosovo followed.[6] The experiences he has had during his service have formed most of the content of his art.[7]
For a time, John worked as a recruiting officer in Haverfordwest, but later rejoined the Welsh Regiment.[8]
In 2013, John organised the Neyland Armistice Project, a collaborative art project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War.[9][10]
After 24 years of service in the Army, John set up The VC Gallery in 2014.