HILARY J BAKER

About Hilary Baker MA, FRSA

Internationally acclaimed artist Hilary Baker’s ‘body’ of work is exactly that –a unique challenge to the supposed sterility and isolation of today’s living spaces using bodily residues, found objects.

Hilary, whose work is collected and commissioned worldwide including the National Portrait Gallery in London, uses etching, paintings, ceramics and sculptures to articulate how all bodies leave visible traces of their interrelation within an environment.

Also, utilising salvaged objects and personal items, Hilary J Baker’s art explores the energy and memory that particular objects hold and emit: the numinous energy held within objects.

Working from her 350 year old Old Foundry Building studio, Hilary produces drawings, paintings, sculptures, etchings and photographs.  She also works in collaboration with ceramicists, pewter artists and metal sculptures to extend her practice.

Hilary also is an Education Consultant through her company Lobster Learning that enables children of all abilities and those with learning difficulties, to unleash their creativity, enjoy learning and explore a wide range of creative media.

As a Companion of The Guild of St George, Hilary uses the educational visionary methods of John Ruskin as a basis for teaching together with Goethe’s ideas of the Archetype. She is also worked with Museums, Institutions and individuals in Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan to develop exhibitions and lectures to celebrate 200 years since the birth of John Ruskin in 2019.

Background Info

  • 1962Born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England

  • 1984Attained BA Hons Fine Art Degree, Sheffield College of Art & Design

Exhibitions include;

  • 1984 Mews Gallery, Cheltenham (solo)

  • 1985 Brewery Workshops Gallery, Cirencester (solo)

  • 1985 Ogle Gallery, Cheltenham (solo)

  • 1986 The National Portrait Gallery, London, England (new acquisitions exhibition)

  • 1987 Ryman Gallery, Marbella, Spain (solo)

  • 1989 The Mall Galleries, London (Royal Portrait Society)

  • 1991 Melia Don Pepe Gallery, Marbella, Spain (solo)

  • 1996 Out-Stout Gallery Areley Kings, Worcestershire (solo)

  • 1998 The Fosse Gallery, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire

  • 2000Worcester Cathedral (solo)

  • 2006Black Ink Gallery, Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire

  • 2008Museum Gallery, Bewdley, Worcs (solo)

  • 2011‘Foam’ , Museum in the Park, Stroud (solo)

  • 2013The Foundry Gallery, Bewdley (solo)

Commissions include;

  • General Sir John Hackett for the National Portrait Gallery, London

  • General Sir John Hackett for Perth University, Australia

  • Lord Henry Plumb for his Presidency of the EEC, Strasburg, France

  • Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Hon. Henry Elwes (private)

  • The Stages of the Cross Icons, The Church of England

  • Trevor Francis, footballer (private)

  • Jo Brand, actor & comedienne (private)

  • John Hurt, actor (private)

  • Jasper Carrott, comedian (private)

  • Glynn Purnell

Work in collections include;

  • The National Portrait Gallery, London, England

  • Worcester Cathedral, Church of England

  • Perth University, Australia

  • EEC Strasburg, France

Education Consultancy

2002 Onwards
Hilary Baker specialises in Specialist Programmes for schools that include;

  • SEN and Autism programmes

  • Specialist individual and group interventions

  • Art Award delivery

  • Creative–curriculum learning and support

  • Whole school and community creative projects

See Lobster Learning section for more details.