Philip Hughes studied engineering at Cambridge University leading to an earlier career in Information Technology. Self taught as an artist, his work is centered on land, its structure, and the intervention of man from ancient cultures until the present. His prime source is drawing directly in the landscape complimented by the use of maps and aerial images. Hughes has extensively walked the landscape of the British Isles tracing ancient tracks.
Hughes was invited to exhibit in 1990 by the Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness, the first of many public exhibitions including Tate Gallery St Ives; V&A; Jerwood Galley, Hastings; Pier Arts Centre, Orkney; Brighton Museum and Art Gallery; Salisbury Museum; Musée du Châtillonnais, France; Memmo Gallery, Lecce; Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, Monterray; Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City; Drill Hall, Canberra; Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne. For his most recent solo exhibition Hughes was asked to present at Charleston, Sussex.
In 2002 he made an extended visit to Antarctica on his award of the Artists and Writers in Antarctica Fellowship with the British Antarctic survey and Arts Council England. He has travelled to other remote areas including numerous visits to the vast deserts of central Australia.
His work is represented in numerous public collections including The British Library, The British Museum, The Victoria and Albert Museum, the UK Government Collection and the Library of Congress, Washington D.C., U.S.A and the National Gallery of Australia. He served on the council of the Royal College of Art (1987-1992), on the board of the Design Museum (1990-1996) and as the chairman of the Trustees of the National Gallery (1996-2000).
| SOLO EXHIBITONS | ||
| 2019 | Charleston, East Sussex | |
| 2018 | European Space Agency, Darmstadt, Germany | |
| Maison de la Truffe et du Vin, Ménerbes, France | ||
| Galerie Pascal Lainé, Ménerbes (also 2014, 2010, 2007) | ||
| The Perse, Cambridge | ||
| 2016 | Studio 3 Gallery, Jarman Building, Canterbury | |
| The Watermill Gallery, Aberfeldy (also 2012, 2005) | ||
| 2015 | University of Kent | |
| 2014 | Jerwood Gallery, Hastings | |
| 2012 | Brighton Museum & Art Gallery | |
| Cromarty Arts Trust, Scotland | ||
| Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Scotland (also 2008) | ||
| Stirling University, Scotland | ||
| Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire | ||
| Francis Kyle Gallery, London (also 2010, 2007, 2003, 2000, | ||
| 1997, 1994, 1992, 1989, 1987, 1984, 1982, 1979) | ||
| 2011 | Galerie Gimpel & Müller, Paris — with Chris Drury et Nicolas de Staël | |
| 2008 | Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, Australia | |
| Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney, Australia (also 2005) | ||
| Charleston, East Sussex | ||
| 2007 | Maison de la Truffe et du Vin, Menerbes, France | |
| 2004 | Star Gallery, Lewes | |
| 2002 | Musée du Châtillonais, Châtillon-sur-Seine, France | |
| Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, Australia | ||
| 2001 | The Victoria and Albert Museum, London | |
| University of Lecce, Memmo Gallery, Lecce, Italy | ||
| 2000 | The Tate Gallery, St Ives | |
| Artothèque, Vaucluse, France | ||
| 1999 | Volvo Gallery, Sydney, Australia | |
| The George Adams Gallery, Melbourne, Australia | ||
| 1998 | Lesley Craze Gallery, London | |
| Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra, Australia | ||
| 1997 | Museo de Arte Contemporaneo, MARCO, Monterrey, Mexico | |
| 1995 | L’Ambassade d’Australie, Paris | |
| 1993 | La Tour des Cardinaux, L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France | |
| 1990 | Museum and Art Gallery, Inverness, Scotland | |
| 1985 | Galerie Cance Manguin, Ménerbes, France (also 1979) | |
| 1977 | Angela Flowers Gallery, London | |
| 1976 | Parkway Focus, London | |
| TWO-PERSON EXHIBITIONS | ||
| 2020 | Seminario de Cultura Mexicana (with Carmen Boullosa and Amy Petra Woodward) | |
| 2018 | European Space Agency, Darmstadt, Germany (with Amy Petra Woodward) | |
| 2004 | Château la Nerthe, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vaucluse, France (with Antoine Poncet) | |
| 2003 | Churchill College, Cambridge (with Keith Grant) | |
| 2002 | Sherman Galleries, Sydney, Australia (with Philip Wolfhagen) | |
| 1992 | Lesley Craze Gallery, London (with Francis Bendixson) | |
| 1976 | Francis Kyle Gallery, London (with Fay Godwin) | |
| 1972 | The Monks Gallery, Sussex (with Beryl Bainbridge) | |
| GROUP EXHIBITIONS | ||
| 2018 | Stromness Museum, Orkney, Scotland | |
| 2017 | Belgrave Gallery, St Ives | |
| 2015 | The Gallery, Arts University Bournemouth, Landscapes of Exploration | |
| 2014 | Lesley Craze Gallery, London (also 2004, 1994) | |
| 2013 | Francis Kyle Gallery, London (also 2013, 2011, 2006, 2003 1996, 1995, 1994, 1993, 1991, 1988) | |
| Scott Polar Institute, Cambridge | ||
| 2012 | Peninsula Arts Gallery, Plymouth, Landscapes of Exploration | |
| Drill Hall Gallery ANU, Canberra, Australia, Antarctica | ||
| 2007 | Wallsworth Hall, Gloucester, Nature in Art | |
| 2006 | Edinburgh, Scotland, White Horizons: British Art from Antarctica, 1775-2006, | |
| 2001 | Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham, Trentside | |
| 2000 | Rex Irwin Gallery, Sydney, Australia (also 1999) | |
| The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA | ||
| 1999 | The Prince of Wales’s Institute of Architecture, London | |
| 1997 | Sotheby’s, London | |
| Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London | ||
| 1995 | John Jones Gallery, London | |
| 1994 | Royal Society of Arts, London | |
| 1993 | Lesley Craze Gallery, London | |
| 1992 | Beardsmore Gallery, London | |
| Galerie Jaquester, Paris | ||
| Art-Asia Convention, Hong Kong | ||
| 1991 | Sotheby’s, London | |
| Eddie Glastra Gallery, Sydney, Australia | ||
| 1988 | Mount House Gallery, Marlborough | |
| Camden Arts Centre, London | ||
| The London Group, Royal College of Art, London | ||
| 1986 | Museum and Art Gallery, Swindon | |
| 1985 | Royal Festival Hall, London | |
| 1983 | Pintura Britanica Contemporanea, Museo Municipal, Madrid | |
| Angela Flowers Gallery, London (also 1974) | ||
| 1982 | Seven Dials Gallery, London | |
| L’Hotel de Ville, Bonnieux, France | ||
| 1981 | La Roche Gallery, London | |
| Acme Gallery, London | ||
| 1976 | Thumb Gallery, London | |
| 1970-76 | Artists for Vietnam, London | |
| 1969 | Aldeburgh Festival | |
| PUBLICATIONS | ||
| 2018 | The artist’s book Alchimia de los Planetas, Alchemy of the Planets, illustrations by Philip Hughes with Amy Petra Woodward; | |
| a series of poems by Carmen Boullosa, translated by Psiche Hughes, and published by the Old School Press, UK. | ||
| 2012 | Philip Hughes tracks: walking the ancient landscapes of britain (First edition)Thames & Hudson, with foreword by Kay Syrad. Paperback edition made available in 2019. | |
| 2002 | Jump of the Manta Ray, livre d’artiste, a series of poems by Carmen Boullosa, translated by Psiche Hughes, and published by the Old School Press, UK. | |
| 1998 | Patterns in the Landscape: The Notebooks of Philip Hughes, introduction by Glen Murcutt, published by Thames & Hudson. | |
| 1997 | Elysian Garden, livre d’artiste, poème de Carmen Boullosa, traduit par Psiche Hughes illustré par Philip Hughes, imprimé à Taller Magenta, Monterrey, Mexique. | |
| COLLECTION | ||
| The British Library, London | ||
| The British Museum, London | ||
| The Victoria and Albert Museum, London | ||
| The UK Government Collection | ||
| Clare College, Cambridge | ||
| University of Stirling, Scotland | ||
| Musee du Chatillonais, Chatillon-sur-Seine, France | ||
| The National Gallery, Canberra, Australia | ||
| The City Library, New York, USA | ||
| Columbia University, New York, USA | ||
| The Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA | ||
| The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, USA | ||
| The University of Iowa, USA | ||
| The University of Georgia, USA | ||
| Washington University, St Louis, USA | ||