Northern Sky

The artworks of Kate Wickham

Kate Wickham: Moor Land

Kate Wickham’s paintings gravitate to the North, where she was born. Her work examines the industrial history of Yorkshire, highlighting its notable contributions to Britain’s industrial success in steel, coal, and textiles.

An apparent affinity with industrial landscapes and textiles is evident in her paintings. There are echoes of the industrial landscape pioneers, such as David Watson’s paintings inspired by his native Teesside, L.S. Lowry, and Prunella Clough. They all lauded the solemn beauty of human-built spaces. Equally, Kate’s paintings are rooted in exploring landscape through abstraction.

Kate Wickham: Northern Sky

Layering in her works serves as a meditation—it is not just a physical process but also a source of inspiration. Her pieces are built up in many tiers, in a mixture of mediums - paint, oil stick, ink, pencil, and crayon. Colour, texture and drawing/mark-making all contribute to the completed piece. Her palette is a juxtaposed combination of warm and cool, as well as soft and vibrant colours.

There is also an element of witnessing and documenting, be it geological or social strata. Geological in terms of the vertical cross sections, where each zone has varying compositions of colours, textures and structures. At the same time, social, refering to the layers of society, based on wealth, occupation and social status. Depicting the industrial qualities through lines and structures in her works could be a nod to the North and its significant history to Britain’s global success, or simply an acknowledgement of her heritage.

Kate Wickham: Strata

Kate says–

My paintings start in quite a loose way, but through over-drawing, layering, and attention to detail, the paintings eventually develop more structured forms. The paintings are thoughtful and can take time to evolve and resolve.

Having worked in art academia, alongside her 40-year art practice, she also had a successful career in ceramics. In 2010, she transitioned to her current, more painterly practice. Between 1993 and 2003, Kate took time out to care for her severely disabled son, who was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy at the age of one. She has a strong message about discrimination against disabled people within society.

Kate Wickham: Field Tapestry

She says–

Bringing up a severely disabled child has taught me resilience, empathy, and the true meaning of unconditional love.

She wants to recognise all those people who have been and are in a similar position. Accrediting her artistic practice to finding a balance in her life while having a creative outlet has been essential for her well-being.

Kate Wickham: Habour