W. Van Hughes
I relate to, humanity, fairness, curiousity and identity.
Photo: Basilio Martinez
BIOGRAPHY
Van Hughes, was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.A on the 27 de september, 1970. At the age of six his family moved to Alicante, Spain where he spent the rest of his childhood. At the age of 17 he moves back to the United States, where he studies fine art at Parsons School of Design and the New world School of the Arts.
His career, concern and training as a visual artist has led him to the practice of different artistic disciplines. His paintings and ceramic work have been exhibited in galleries in the U.S and Spain; Hansell Gallery, West End Gallery, Lonja de Pescado de Alicante, The Ceramic Exposition Center of Manises and the University of Alicante.
He devoted several years to illustrating and worked for the Austin Chronicle, Texas Bar Journal, SEDL, and Texas Restaurant Association.
For over 20 years, Van Hughes has worked as a graphic designer, creative director and product designer while sharing his commitment to his pictorical and photographic work. His merits include a first prize award of the national photography contest of Crevillente, Spain, diverse merit mentions in ceramics and first prize graphic design award.
He currently resides in Alicante, Spain, involved in several photographic projects regarding social and humanitarian issues. His most recent project has been the book: “Acoge un plato” for the Spanish Commission of Refugee Aid. (CEAR) and "Heroes of Clay", (A documentary and tribute book to the traditional potters in Agost, Spain).
At this point and time, 2024, Van Hughes is working on a new photographic book, sponsored by The Casa Mediterraneo, in Alicante, Spain, documenting the life, migration points and cultural similarities throughout markets and flea markets of Spain, Italy, Morocco and Turkey.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Doing something meaningful for yourself, gives you purpose and freedom.
Finding out what that may be, takes courage, discovery and acceptance of who you are.
As a photographer artist, the concept of identity is one of the themes that awakes my inspiration and creative interest.
On the one hand, I explore in a documentary style human activity in consonance with things, places, singularity and architecture. On the other hand, I investigate my own identity through conceptual portraiture and still life photography to describe and illustrate different dimensions within one's self.
I would describe my self as a street and humanistic photographer who relates to identity in all its forms; cultural heritage, daily rural life, intimacy, and the juxtaposition of different ethnicities. When I speak of identity, I also speak of authenticity, conservation, and humanistic values.
To bring some coherence to my work frame, it is important to understand its relationship with my own cultural baggage.
I grew up in three different countries, have bicultural parents and moved from school to school. I never really created a strong root and therefore I grew up on a certain emotional and identity duality.
As mentioned, I understand that due to my own life experience and heritage, cultural identity has become a meaningful and honest focus of my work, but I also feel influenced by how time has changed mentality and places and how development and technology have buried much of yesteryears identity. To some extent that also talks about who we are now through a personal introspection. Due to this, I find myself trying to calm my melancholy through an organic quest of places that conserve time and still relate and feel connected to my childhood.
What nourishes me as an image maker, is to create photographs that are honest, capture the human essence through a variety of cultures or ethnicities and pronounces a conscious insight of humility, individuality and humanistic values.
The making of photography and art in general gives me a meaningful purpose in life.
INFLUENCES
Ramón Masats
Carlos Pérez Siquier
José Manuel Navia
Martin Parr
Robert Frank
Cristóbal Hara
William Eggleston
Ramón Zabalza
Joel Meyerowitz
Josef Koudelka
Issei Suda
Daido Moriyama
Yasuhiro Ishimoto
Fan Ho