Ute Hillenbrand, born and raised in Dortmund in 1963, studied Visual Communication at the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts. After beginning her career as a graphic designer and art director at large advertising agencies, she founded her own agency in the 1990s, which she sold in 2003 to dedicate herself entirely to her art. She achieved international acclaim in the following years, particularly with her "Grand Opening" series, making each of her numerous exhibitions a highly regarded art event.

In 2022, after 20 years, she left her adopted home of Sylt and now runs her studio in Dortmund. She spends most of the year developing new, exciting moves and continuously refining her distinctive technique with her signature "high-gloss finish."

Ute Hillenbrand achieves the uniqueness of her works through the unusual and unprecedented combination of materials and motifs: Her crushed beverage cans, resembling those of major champagne brands, rendered in oil pastels on brushed aluminum, are inextricably linked to the name Ute Hillenbrand, like a fingerprint, and have found admirers throughout Europe.

Her unmistakable "High Gloss Technique" is also a true original development: After the creative process, the large-format, one-of-a-kind pieces are coated with a high-gloss glaze that leaves the polished metal untouched, only encasing the painted motif with sharp edges. A brilliant effect of color and fascinating refractions of light make Ute Hillenbrand's art, created in this way, true eye-catchers at first glance.

Moreover, the dialectical contrast between the rough, original metal surface of the painting ground and the mirror-like glaze of the finish gives her works an unparalleled vibrancy that is both captivating and moving.