Home Leisure Time North East gallery puts portraits in the frame this spring

North East gallery puts portraits in the frame this spring

The Biscuit Factory unveils its new exhibition in March

The Biscuit Factory – the UK’s largest independent commercial art, craft and design gallery – launches its new spring exhibition on Friday 1 March, headlined by Northumberland-based portrait artist, Peter Hallam.

Peter’s new collection of paintings features a variety of unique characters, each with their own story to tell, including Argentinian Dancer, Science Fiction Girl and The Falconer – inspired by people Peter has met in real life.

Gallery curator, Sam Knowles said: “It’s always a pleasure to welcome Peter and his work to the gallery. With his ability to create so many quirky and intriguing characters you never know who he will deliver next.

“Peter has a continually growing fan base and with many international collectors, his work is often bought almost as soon as it arrives here. Yet despite this success Peter remains lovably modest, even shy about his work and prefers the quiet isolation of his rural studio in the Scottish borders to the public eye.”


Alongside Peter’s headline show, the Ouseburn gallery will also be showcasing and selling artwork from more than 250 local, national and international artists, encompassing a contemporary mix of paintings, prints, sculpture, glass, ceramics and one of the largest collections of handmade jewellery in the city.

Other highlights this spring include atmospheric etchings from Durham-based printmaker Anja Percival; dramatic abstracted landscapes from first-time exhibitor at the gallery, David Scott Moore; and Beth Richardson’s ordinary everyday objects, such as washing lines, painted in large empty spaces.

The new spring exhibition opens with a special launch event on Friday 1 March, 6pm -9pm, featuring a complimentary glass of fizz on arrival plus a range of creative pop ups and artist demonstrations. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

The spring exhibition runs from 1 March until 26 May 2019. The gallery is open seven days a week from 10am to 5pm and admission is free.