Chris Shaw Hughes

British artist Chris Shaw Hughes creates photorealistic drawings and paintings that document pivotal moments of history in specific places. His highly intricate carbon drawings resemble black and white photographs and have a tangible sense of nostalgia to them. Sometimes focusing on scenes that allude to trauma and tension, and at other times conveying moments of serenity, Chris gives each scene he depicts a compelling sense of depth. Whether capturing dramatic and dynamic portraits or depicting aerial landscapes, Chris’ technique is both observant and honest, allowing him to reflect the atmosphere of any given scene.

Chris Shaw Hughes’ Education and Inspiration

Chris studied for his BA and MA degrees at the University of Brighton and graduated in 2010. Prior to this, Chris had a long and successful career in advertising. Although he became disillusioned with the advertising industry, Chris’ interest in the presentation of information in the media remains central to his practice, with a specific intrigue in the notion of collective memory. The photographic nature of Chris’ subjects makes for artworks that are packed with themes of history, nostalgia and trauma.

Collections and Exhibitions

In 2010, Chris’ work was included in the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition, which toured the UK and showed in galleries such as ICA London and Liverpool Biennial. Since then, Chris has shown his work in a number of group and solo shows, both in and around where he lives on the south coast, and across the UK. Many of Chris’s solo exhibitions have dealt with political or social issues, such as Fooled Again documenting the aftermath of 9:11 and the Iraq war.