Claude Barras was born in Sierre, Switzerland. He studied illustration and computer graphics at École Emile Cohl in Lyon. He received a degree in anthropology and digital images from Lyon, studied computer graphics at ECAL (École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne) and worked as a freelance illustrator in Geneva.

Throughout his career, Barras directed several short films, including The Genie in a Ravioli Can (2006). Barras' first full-length animated feature, My Life as a Courgette (2016), was presented at the Director's Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival and received numerous awards at film festivals around the world. The film was selected as Switzerland's oficial entry for the Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film.