Hilde Pollet
Hilde Pollet is a Belgian and British oil painter who intuitively sources images from the layers of mind, memory and identity. Hilde’s style is expressive and surrealist, characterised by abstracted figures and a vibrant colour palette.
The process of painting defines her work. Automatic drawing, active imagination and dreams initiate the work. Journaling and doodling starts her work. She relies on her brain’s inclination to detect faces and figures in random marks. The characters who appear end up playing the main role in storytelling. Pencils and crayons allow a swift capture of the first intuitions in drawing. She uses oil paint to develop the pictures, allowing coincidence to play its part.
Alongside a successful career outside of the arts, Hilde is deepening her life as an artist. She has self-trained through a focused programme of short courses with established tutors, chosen to strengthen specific technical and conceptual aspects of her work.
Artist Statement
I paint the figures who appear in the random marks of journal doodles. They are often women, living in volumes and lines as bodies. They are not portraits of specific individuals, but symbolic human forms. They inhabit atmospheric spaces and are caught in quiet every day moments. I explore who they are, their mood and nature and how life feels to them, recognising that all my work is rooted in my own life experience. My aim is to intrigue and evoke recognition.
