Margriet Barends studied at the School for Graphic Arts and the Artibus Academy in Utrecht, where she was taught by sculptor Jan van Luijn.

Her oeuvre consists mainly of figurative sculptures in bronze and corten steel, in which humans and animals are central. She also paints with oil and acrylic paint and makes pastels and drawings.

Barends is a member of the Genootschap Kunstliefde and the Artists' Society De Groninger Kroon. Her work has been exhibited in various sculpture gardens and museums, including Paleis Het Loo and Museum De Buitenplaats.

Some of her public works include:

-The handreiking (1991), peace monument in Montfoort.
-Sleeping giant (1997), Vijzelplantsoen in LinschotenWadende vrouw (1999), also in Linschoten.

-Facade images of Elisabeth van Thüringen and Saint George (2008), Bagijnestraat in Deventer.
-Trekschuit (2014), Singel in Ulrum.

In 2005, Barends moved to Ulrum with her husband, painter Harm van der Meulen.

Her work is characterized by influences from De Stijl, Bauhaus and Cubism, in which she strives for powerful images without frills and emphasizes the essence of form and line.