Hugh Chapman, born in 1986, is a self-taught sculptor working from his studio in West Sussex
Chapman, with great patience and skill, hand-forms his originals, which are of a quality rarely seen in contemporary sculpture.
Based on years of experience in photography, these originals are made with a mind to how light will interact with their surface. Careful consideration is given to the ultimate choice of which material should be used.
Refined over a decade of experience; line, light, and form are the tools Chapman uses to create a physical language through which to express himself.
His work focuses on the importance of beauty. During a difficult time, after a serious illness, he feels that surrounding himself in the natural world saved his life. His appreciation of the beauty of the natural world was initially pursued though photography. Observation and emotions have formed the backbone of his creative thinking and passion, and is the driving force behind his bold and dynamic abstract sculpture.
“I am fascinated by nature’s rhythms and systems, its beauty of line and form and dynamics. It is with these feelings that I express myself though abstracted ideas which are really an emulation of how I feel, rather than a direct response to any real world form.” Hugh Chapman
These feelings, observed during his journey of hopeful recovery, would not only shape the physical aspects of his work but its conceptual intentions.
“It is impossible for me to view anything without sculptural consideration. I am driven to make work that has a positive psychological impact. It should challenge, complement, and align with the world around us in a positive way. It’s a quest for a sense of harmony and solace that I find in the beauty of nature.” Hugh Chapman
This quote by the late British philosopher, Roger Scruton, really represents Chapman’s feeling of the positivity of beauty to humanity.
"Through the pursuit of beauty we shape the world as a home and, in doing so, we both amplify our joys and find consolation for our sorrows." Roger Scruton
Chapman is pushing his practice more towards the ethereal or spritual. This, he feels, comes from questions about what the substance of life is.
“I have pursued beauty with dedication, but increasingly I find that I am shifting to a pursuit of the ethereal. It is something I will search for with the knowledge that I shall probably never find it. However, it seems to me to be a natural progression.” Hugh Chapman
“Death and life and rebirth are all elements that fascinate me and this maybe as a result of an interest in my own mortality and a desire for the spiritual which can help guard against the complexities of the human condition. It is the divine state of change and constant flux found in the natural world that occupies my mind, my dreams and thoughts. It’s consuming”. Hugh Chapman
Chapman feels strongly that these feelings and questions of, and about, life stemmed from an out-of-body experience when close to death.
“The prognosis for me was bleak, if I survived at all. During this time as I became increasingly close to death, I had an experience of staggering beauty. For a short time my consciousness was separated from my physical state. It was beautiful. I was with out earthly bounds.“ Hugh Chapman
Before his illness Chapman dreamed of being an architect. Sculpture, he feels, can provide him with many of the same possibilities as architects to add to the physical world; treating public sculpture with the same ideas of social responsibility.
This is one of the reasons why Chapman makes such a large number of maquettes. Scale is important to sculpture and the physical relationship between our own personal size and space is something that fascinates Chapman
“My dream is to make monumental sculpture that can harmonise with space, be it natural or man-made; sculpture that can engage with the public, enhance the space in which it resides and in doing so enhance the quality of people’s lives.” Hugh Chapman
Video’s below
Making of a Maquette for monumental sculpture
Hugh Chapman Sculptor for Solo exhibition @ Nordic Art Agency
