Hilary Dalke was born in 1947 in London, which is where she works today. She gained a Fine Art & Printmaking Degree at Kingston School of Art in 1968, followed by work in Art & Design Education, with young people and post graduates at London South Bank University (LSBU) and Kingston University (KU). Early in her career Dalke was creator/director of a unique Colour Design Research Centre at LSBU then KU. Hilary carried out design consultancies for major organisations including ICI, NHS, TFL, The Home Office and industries worldwide establishing her work in leading vision and colour design research. Dalke completed numerous major grants for work on visual impairment with UCL /MOORFIELDS, and THOMAS POCKLINGTON TRUST. She developed the CROMOCON LRV meter, now widely used in the construction industry today to check visual accessibility of building materials.

Dalke’s first artist solo show was at the University of Surrey in 1973. More recently, an exhibition for Audi Design Foundation exploring design and dementia, on the benefits of colour for a sense of well-being, was shown at The Building Centre in London with a publication for Jessica Kingsley. She has been invited to speak in conferences at Cambridge University, Boston MFA, WHO in Finland, Access Conferences in Newcastle, Belgium, Florida USA and Design Schools in London, Denmark, Krakow Poland. Dalke was awarded an Emeritus Professorship at Kingston University London in 2013; today she continues with painting, drawing, photography and printmaking.