About The Artist

"Hugo's realistic accuracy transcends conventional notions of realism not so much because of her technical ability, but because her paintings and drawings of people somehow capture the essence of each particular subject and the very essence of what it is to be human." - Peter Machen.

Helena Hugo is essentially a portrait artist who prefers to portray those individuals who are often overlooked or taken for granted. Her subject matter ranges from portraits of South African Labourers to, more recently, studying the effects which the age old pseudo science called physiognomy still has on our society.

In her "working portraits" Hugo aimed to bring to the viewer’s attention the significance of every job and the role it plays in a society presenting the workers of our country to the viewer as individuals with reconsidered status and importance. In her more recent portraits, she asks the question: In what measure do we still let ourselves be influenced today by preconceived ideas laid down by a set of society bound rules for measuring appearance – a system that may actually determine our opinions of people?

Artist CV

Born 6 January 1975, Roodepoort, South Africa

Tertiary Education: 1996 BA Fine Arts, Pretoria University,South Africa

Work in Corporate Collections: University of Johannesburg (UJ), J A Meyer Attorneys, Standard Chartered Bank London, Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA), Ukwazi Mining Group, University of South Africa (UNISA), Blend Property Group, Northcliff Eye Centre, Vulisango Holdings, North-West University, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, William Humphreys Gallery, War Museum of the Boer Republics, The National Museum of China, Pretoria Art Museum, Absa Bank.

Work in Private Collections: South Africa, Germany, Singapore, Australia, Great Britain, United States of America (USA), the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, France.

Finalist for:

• BP Portrait Awards, London
• Absa L'Atelier Competition
• Eukuruleni Fine Arts Award
• Brett Kebble Award
• Sasol New Signatures Competition
• National Portrait Awards
• Sanlam Portrait Awards
• Rupert Portrait Awards
• Momentum/Topbilling lifestyle Awards
• Cetshwayo KaMpande National Portrait Competition
• Winsor & Newton Fine Arts Competition

Acknowledgements:

• 2007 Top ten. Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/Tembisa.
• 2008 Obtained Project Funding from the National Arts Council for partially funding the exhibition SA@work
• 2009 3rd place in the Art Interview 16th International Online Artist Competition
• 2011 Selected as Festival Artist, Absa Klein Karoo National Arts Festival
• 2012 Winner of the Bettie Cilliers-Barnard Award for painting
• 2014 First prize, Pastel Painting Contest, Collection Beaux-Arts Réaliste et Impressionniste, Montréal
• 2015 Top five. Sanlam Portrait Award

Residencies:

• 2013 Cité International des Arts, Paris
• 2016 Sachaqa Centro de Arte, San Roque de Cumbaza, Peru
• 2018 SAFFCA (The South African Foundation for Contemporary Art), Entabeni farm, Knysna
• List of Solo Exhibitions:
• 1997 Terre Verté, Pretoria
• 2001 "Emplastron", Victoria Memorial Hall, Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
• 2008 "KZN@Work", KZNSA Gallery, Durban
• 2009 "Worker", Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
• 2010 "SA@Work", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• 2011 "Portret" Absa Klein Karoo National Arts Festival, Oudtshoorn
• 2013 "Surface" Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein
• 2013 "Surface" North-West University Gallery, Potchefstroom
• 2015 "Grass People", Alliance Française, Johannesburg
• 2015-2016 "Grass People", Absa Gallery, Johannesburg
• 2019 "Legacy", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• 2020 "Legacy", William Humphreys Art Gallery, Kimberley
• 2022 "Morph", Gallery @ Glen Carlou, Stellenbosch

List of Selected Group Exhibitions:

2023:

• "Print", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Give her a Crown", The Melrose Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Portrait Award 2023, top 40", Rust-en-Vrede-Gallery, Durbanville
• "Lena Hugo & Jaco Benade", Johann van Heerden's Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Portrait Award 2023, top 40", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• "A Season of Feathered Friends", Association of Arts, Pretoria

2022:

• "Material Divine", Rust en Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "The Illusion of Reality", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Figure Me", Art & Collect, Midrand
• "Phenomenal Women", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery
• "Seed II", curated by SAFFCA, Villa Arcadia, Johannesburg
• "Figure Drawings", by the Arcadia Scout Hall figure drawing group, Alliance Française, Pretoria
• "The Grand 6", Rust en Vrede Gallery, Durbanville

2021:

• "Persistence of Vision", Knysna Fine Art, Knysna
• "Freedom Equals no Fear", Eclectica Contemporary, Cape Town
• "Life", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Portrait Award top 40", Rust en Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Portrait Award top 100", Rupert Museum, Stellenbosch
• "The Threads that Bind us", The Viewing Room Art Gallery, Pretoria

2020:

• "Ichabod", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery, online
• "Grand V", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, online
• "The Affordable Art Show", Association of Arts, online
• "Particular", Art Karoo, online
• "Absa Art Hotspot Auction", Absa Gallery in partnership with Aspire Art Auctions, online
• "3rd Annual Winter Sale", Johann van Heerden’s Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Boys don’t cry", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Summer Salon, Gallery @ Glen Carlou, Stellenbosch
• "Pearl", Artbox, Pretoria

2019:

• "KKNK25 - ‘n Terugblik Uitstalling", Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees, Oudtshoorn
• "Palate, Plate, Palette", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "21 Years of Curating the Cube", UJ Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Winter Collection", Everard Read, Franschhoek
• "Stars for the Festive Season", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Salt", Trent Gallery, Pretoria
• "Helena Hugo Fund Raising Auction", Association of Arts, Pretoria

2018:

• "Unfolding Fibre", Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• "African Contemporary Art", PIASA, Paris
• "Assumption", Trent Gallery, Pretoria
• "Grand IV", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Indestructible", Trent Gallery, Pretoria
• "Drawing conclusions II", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "See Art, Contemporary Drawing, Gallery 2, Johannesburg
• "Prides an Plights", University of Pretoria, Pretoria
• "Ordinary People, Extraordinary Lives", Foxwood House, Johannesburg
• "SAFFCA Residency Exhibition", Entabeni Farm, Knysna
• "A Blushfull Hippocrene", Knysna Fine Arts, Knysna

2017:

• "Important South African and International Art", Strauss & Co, Johannesburg
• "Genre", Moór Gallery, Franschhoek
• "See Art", Gallery 2, Johannesburg and Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Sanlam Portrait Award top 100", Michaelis Galleries, Cape Town and Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Ars Gratia Artis", Gallery at Grande Provence, Franschhoek
• Kakotopia, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Common Ground", Trent Gallery, Pretoria

2016:

• "Origins & Trajectories, Contemporary Art from Africa & the African Diaspora", PIASA, Paris
• "Art Exchange Mexico", Querètaro, Mexico and Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Performing Wo/Man", North West University Gallery, Potchefstroom and Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein
• "Helena Hugo and Nhlanhla Nhlapo", Trent Gallery, Pretoria
• "Sanlam Portrait Award", Knysna Fine Art, Knysna and KZNSA, Durban
• "100 Geographies", University of Stellenbosch Art Museum, Stellenbosch
• "Element: Air", Sachaqa Centro De Arte, Peru
• "Crossing Borders", Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
• "Grand III", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "I Object", Art It Is, Johannesburg

2015:

• "Twenty: Art in the Time of Democracy," 6th Beijing Biennale, Beijing, China and Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria and University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "The Grand II", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Not a Portrait Exhibition", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Sanlam Portrait Award, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville and Sanlam Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Homo Sapiens" Object, design, Art/ ANPA, Franschhoek

2014:

• "Twenty: Art in the Time of Democracy,"Appalachian State University, Turchin Centre, North Carolina, USA
• "SPI National Portrait Awards", KZNSA Gallery, Durban and Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein
• "Easter Symbols", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Transforming the Negative into Positive through Art", Trent Gallery, Pretoria
• "The Grand Exhibition", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Earthborn", joint exhibition with Retha Buitendach, Trent Gallery, Pretoria

2013:

• "Jeunes Artistes d'Afrique du Sud", Vivienne Art Galerie, Paris
• "Tom Waits for No Man", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Re-envisioning the Anglo-Boer War", Johannes Stegmann Gallery, Bloemfontein
• "Big Enough to be Small", William Humphreys Gallery, Kimberley
• "SPI National Portrait Awards", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville and University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg and Stephan Welz & Co at the Alphen Estate in Constantia, Cape Town
• "Interrupted", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Summer exhibition 45", Strydom Gallery, George

2012:

• "Re-sample", Absa Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Rendezvous Focus Painting", UCT Michaelis School of Fine Art and Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfontein
• Opening Exhibition, Fient Lifestyle Gallery, Pretoria
• "Circles, Cycles and Seasons", Strydom Gallery, George
• "Engage" - World Art Day Exhibition, Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Rendezvous Focus Painting", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Altered Pieces", Strydom Gallery, George
• "This Place/Displace", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg

2011:

• "Skilder met Woorde II", Klein Karoo National Arts festival, Oudtshoorn
• "Recent Acquisitions Art Exhibition", University of South Africa (UNISA), Pretoria
• "Altered Pieces" Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg and Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
• "Rendezvous Focus Painting", Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
• "Self Portrait 2011", Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Transvaalse Verhalen", Zuid-Afrikahuis, Amsterdam
• "Affordable Art Fair", Amsterdam
• "43rd Summer Exhibition, Strydom Gallery, George
• "Poetry into Imagery", St Lorient Fashion and Art, Pretoria

2010:

• "Skilder met Woorde II" Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
• "Woman at Work", The Gallery at Duncan Yard, Pretoria
• "Source", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• "42nd Summer Exhibition", Strydom Gallery, George
• "Oppitafel 20(10)", Artspace, Johannesburg

2009:

• "St Sebastian", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Justified Jotting", Magpie, Pretoria
• Absa L'Atelier Competition, Absa Towers, Johannesburg
• "Enigma", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• "41st Summer Exhibition", Strydom Gallery, George

2008:

• "Metaphor", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• "A Thin Line", Platform on 18th, Pretoria
• "Reflect Refuel", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• Centenary Exhibition, University of Pretoria, Pretoria

2007:

• Opening Exhibition, The Secret Gallery, Pretoria
• Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/Tembisa
• "Evidence", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• Woman’s Exhibition, The Secret Gallery, Pretoria

2006:

• "Mystery Portrait Postcards", National Portrait Gallery, London
• Opening Exhibition, Platform on 18th, Pretoria
• "Woman", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• "Positive", Sun City
• Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• Absa L’ Atelier Competition, Absa Towers, Johannesburg

2005:

• Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• BP Portrait Award 2005, National Portrait Gallery, London and Sunderland Museum, Winter Gardens, Sunderland and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh
• Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/Tembisa
• "Artists from Pretoria", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg
• "Far and Wide", Absa Gallery, Johannesburg

2004:

• "For the Record/Off the Record", Gordart @ Thompson Gallery, Johannesburg and Aardklop National Arts Festival, Potchefstroom
• Woman's day Exhibition, Rust-en-Vrede Gallery, Durbanville
• "Recent Works", Carol Lee Fine Art, Johannesburg

2003:

• "Repositioning", University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• "Herfsverhale", Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
• Cetshwayo KaMpande National Portrait Competition, Tatham Art Gallery, Pietermaritzburg
• "Femina 2003", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Encaged" joint exhibition with Nicky Leigh, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg

2002:

• Drawing Exhibition with old students of Diane Victor, Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Remembering the Cross", Tina Skukan Gallery, Pretoria
• "Twenty/Two", Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Arcadia", Carfax, Johannesburg
• Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/Tembisa
• Joint Slovak - South African Exhibition with Erica Jacubcínová, Tina Skukan Art Gallery, Pretoria

2001:

• "3/3", Open Window Art Gallery, Pretoria
• "Unframed works", Tina Skukan Art Gallery, Pretoria

2000:

• Exhibition with Olaf Bishoff and Rentia van der Merwe, Grahamstown National Arts Festival, Grahamstown
• Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/Tembisa

1999:

• Easter Exhibition, University of Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg
• Easter Exhibition, Association of Arts, Pretoria
• "Our World in the Year 2000" Winsor & Newton Fine Arts Competition, Sandton Civic Gallery, Johannesburg
• Opening Exhibition, Gallery Voss, Pretoria

1996:

• Final Year Exhibition, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• Eukurhuleni Fine Arts Award, Kempton Park/ Tembisa
• Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• "Get Framed", Café Palette, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria

1995:

• Exhibition and auction of work, sponsored by PPC Cement, Newtown Galleries, Johannesburg Sasol New Signatures, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria
• Drawing Exhibition with students of Diane Victor, Pretoria Art Museum, Pretoria