Kate Hughes, who was born in Mayfield, East Sussex, got to know Rye well as she grew up. On her path through University (The City and Guilds London Art School), getting a BA in fine arts and various awards (De Laszlo Prize for Portraiture, Sir Roger de Grey prize), she visited it many times and became very fond of the town.
For her, it was a wonderful homecoming when she recently moved into Bide Cottage in Rock Channel, as she kept strong links with her family in Mayfield who still live there. It was Kate’s partner, who is a designer, who moved first and created a studio for her in Bide Cottage. They both love East Sussex and the town for its creativity and the beauty of the surrounding countryside. They wanted to live in a place that inspired them. Kate often walks her dog early morning around the town when it is quiet.
She also studied at an independent art school with strong historic links with crafts guilds, which helps it to maintain its technical ethos, especially through drawing. Kate creates a diverse range of work, which does not only include paintings and drawings but also installations and recordings, though drawing has always been the lynchpin of her practice. Kate learned to draw quickly when she had a residency in Papworth hospital and was allowed to draw heart surgery sessions.
Much of her work in the studio is inspired by story telling, for instance ‘Metamorphosis’. She is working on a project making 1000 line drawings in pen, each one rendering a hint of a story. Hung together, they make surprising connections, which alter depending on who is looking at them. The making of these was broadcast live in 2020 as part of a digital festival based in Hastings. At Christmas 2022, Kate hopes to release a small volume of a selection of her line drawings. She is a very exciting artist and hopefully there will be another exhibition for locals and visitors to go and see.
Her website is: www.katehughesart.com or facebook@kathughesart 2022 Rye Exhibition Video: www.bit.ly/Bide Cottage
Image Credits: Kate Hughes .