A day in the studio (and beyond) with Hugo Winder-Lind

What began as a visit to Hugo's studio, turned into an adventure across Brighton's countryside filled with conversations about consciousness and the sensation of inhabiting a human body.

Text and film by Alex Schuchmann

A few weeks ago, I came across a painting of a dozen sheep on Instagram. I shared the photo in my story, and before long, a dialogue began with its artist, who thanked me for sharing. The man behind the sheep is Brighton-based artist Hugo Winder-Lind. His work features not only sheep but also figures of birds, horses, shepherds, angels, and shooters, all set against rural landscapes with a distinctly human-centric focus.

Curious to learn more, I asked Hugo if he would show me his studio. A few days—and a series of buses, flights, and trains—later, I found myself in his studio in Hove, where the sheep painting I had seen online was hanging. We spent an entire day together, delving deeply into discussions about spirituality and the meaning of consciousness—how it manifests in our earthly bodies, particularly through art, music, and culture.

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“Even in the studio, I can feel inauthentic. But when I feel really authentic the payoff is huge. It's really crazy. It almost becomes like out-of-body authentic. It's more than me. My ego, whatever, the character of me, disappears. This feels more true to something than an idea that I might have about something beforehand, that we go into the studio with [...] By the time we are in there, you're talking to someone else.”

Statements like these give Hugo's paintings a voice—a way of expressing ideas that transcend words. This quote, taken from a conversation we had in one of Brighton's iconic fish and chip shops, describes a creative process that feels larger than earthly life itself. It reflects the interplay between the human spirit and the physical world, exploring how we, as humankind, adorn the planet with our ideas.

Hugo Winder-Lind's work explores the relationship between our bodies and our environment, often evoking a sense of divinity. This connection is especially evident in his skies, which feature prominently in his paintings, imbuing them with a celestial quality that resonates deeply. Learn more about Hugo by watching this 20 minute long documentary, that was filmed in December 2024.