Born in 1994, Portugal. Lives and works in London.
Hugo Lami's work lies in the examination of belief systems and identity within our contemporary societal framework. Utilizing a diverse array of techniques and drawing from a rich painterly tradition spanning from the High Renaissance to the modern era, Lami's work delves into the profound impact of technological advancement and the pervasive influence of social media on our perceptions of self and the world around us.
Lami initiates his creative process by directly sketching onto the canvas, establishing an initial structure for each composition only to swiftly discard it. Operating without a predetermined plan, the emergence of imagery unfolds in a circuitous manner, with the artist responding iteratively to his own preceding marks and gestures until a discernible direction takes shape. This initial framework serves as a foundation from which both formal and figurative elements gradually emerge, creating a dynamic interplay that allows Lami to either build upon or deconstruct with the application of oil paint.
Preferring ordered spontaneity over contrived planning, Lami navigates through a multitude of potential compositional outcomes, often working concurrently on multiple canvases over extended periods. His paintings frequently feature motifs or subjects sourced from art history and broader visual culture, such as masked figures, occult beings, symbolic obejects, animals, and enigmatic landscapes. These elements are appropriated and recontextualized defining a fleeting narrative that questions the purpose of the Artist’s own life, thereby inviting viewers to reflect on theirs.
Interview to RTP International, 2020