Carl Hinrichs, a self-taught artist, received formal training under Heinrich Ehmsen at the Academy of Arts in Berlin from 1950 to 1951. He was influenced by artists like Heinz Dubois, Otto Niemeyer-Holstein, and others. Hinrichs is primarily known for his artwork depicting the Mecklenburg landscape, for which he received the Fritz Reuter Prize in Schwerin in 1958 and 1963. In 1989, he was honored as an honorary citizen of Schwerin. Some of his works are displayed at the State Museum in Schwerin.