Hilke MacIntyre: Layers of Colours at The Biscuit Factory
The Biscuit Factory is the largest independent art gallery in the UK, located in the Ouseburn Valley, which is Newcastle’s cultural quarter. It’s housed in a former Victorian biscuit factory, which has been beautifully renovated while keeping many of its original features.
The gallery opened in 2002 and now showcases a wide range of contemporary art, from paintings and sculpture to ceramics, textiles, and jewellery, all created by artists and makers from across the UK.
Hilke MacIntyre’s solo exhibition; Layers of Colour, seemed like the perfect opportunity for my first visit to The Biscuit Factory.
Hilke MacIntyre is a German-born artist who now lives in Scotland. She originally studied architecture in Germany but moved to Scotland in 1995 and has been focusing on her art ever since. Her work is vibrant and often features simplified figures, bold shapes, and striking colours. She’s known for her linocuts, woodcuts, and ceramics, which often depict scenes from everyday life, nature, and animals.
Hilke’s work has a unique style influenced by primitive art and early 20th-century European movements. She enjoys working with linocuts and woodcuts because they’re hands-on and straightforward, allowing her to create playful, spontaneous designs.
Hilke’s art is joyful, accessible, and rooted in a love of form and pattern, making it easy to see why her pieces are so popular. I was immediately drawn to her use of colour and the simple, joyous scenes she depicts in her work.
Hilke has exhibited her work across the UK and has been selected for the Royal Scottish Academy’s annual show several times. You can find her work in various galleries and exhibitions throughout Britain.