Hugo’s journey into the art world has been anything but conventional. Coming from a graffiti background—and after a few run-ins with the law—he eventually found his way to painting. His work ranges from encyclopedic compositions to diptychs, triptychs, and massive canvases depicting his family members. He creates using stolen pigments from his university and isn’t afraid to “borrow” imagery from other painters, reinterpreting it through his own lens. This act of repurposing old imagery into a contemporary context is a key theme in his work.

Much of Hugo’s art is shaped by his reflections on the rapidly changing world. Politics, pandemics, and shifting social dynamics all find their way into his paintings, often resulting in bold, vividly colored, and surreal scenes. His humor is not just present in his work but also in his approach to making it—which is why, instead of reading further, I encourage you to watch the 20-minute documentary we’ve put together for you.