Born in Africa in the 1970's, Hildegard spent her
childhood in England and Northern Ireland. She studied Fashion and Jewellery
Design, as well as Printmaking, and majored in Philosophy and Fine Art.
Hildegard has studios in both the UK and South Africa, and exhibits her work
in the UK, South Africa, Europe, New York and Australia. Hildegard bases
herself in the beautiful Byrne Valley in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.
On her inspiration Hildegard says "I love working with strong line and
pattern, how the figure moves in and fills space fascinates me. Then there is
the timeless, still quality; the fragile beauty and humour or life. The human
figure caught - holding the moment within the moment."
Hildegard specialises in modern etching techniques. In the context of Intaglio
printmaking, the term etching normally refers to the corroding of lines into a
metal plate with acid. Ink is then rubbed into these lines and an impression
there-of printed onto damp paper through a high-pressure press. Rather than
using the conventional zinc or copper plate, Hildegard works with a softer
acrylic plate. This allows her to "scratch or engrave" directly into
the plate, thus eliminating the use of acid. Hildegard colours her etchings by
hand after the paper has dried. She colours her images in a way that allows
the textures of the etching to come through, whilst lending a soft, natural
effect to the whole image. As every image is hand painted, no print is ever
identical and each image is a unique 'original'.
Hildegard: "I love print making in all its aspects - sketching,
scratching, colouring and etching - for me my work is a form of play."
The following artworks are a representation of the Artist's body of work. A wider
selection
is available for viewing at Afrikana Gallery in South Melbourne. |
