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I’m not your classic self-loathing artiste, drenched in tortured process of the high-concept struggle. But, I do sometimes have to hide an involuntary eye-twitch when I think of the countries I ploughed through in the 90s, dragging with me a trail of shitty tourist snapshots like a teenage pre-instagram idiot. Interiors of dank, nameless bars & giggly, drunken selfies by the 100s… How I wish I could wormhole back to those spectacular pre-digital cities, just with a better camera and a bit more sleep?

But was it really better then?  Or is it just my fluffy middle-aged memory – lamenting the loss of a sixpack, an exciting future and a full head of hair? Not sure. What I do know,  is that those missed photo opportunities helped nurture my deep love for travelling in general, and SE Asia specifically – enough to visit it again and again, each time hoping – for a 125th of a second – it’s 1999 again…

Here’s some work that made it into galleries. And in the Archive, there’s a scrape-up from the Lost Years.

Instagram username:  hugdeon

*  LUERZERS  ARCHIVE top 200 photographers worldwide 2014/15 *

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NEW YORK:

LOOKING DOWN AT THE SKY

Probably the most photogenic city on earth, but also challenging when almost every street-corner seems to be a pinterest cliché waiting to happen. The yellow cabs, the steam on the streets, the subway graffiti and the wise-guy lookalikes – 50 years of cinema made sure we’d seen it all before. Then I landed in a snowstorm in March 2013. As I waded to my hotel through five inches of brown slush, I looked down and found my own Manhattan – rippling and shape shifting in wind-blown, melt-water puddles…

SHOWN AT:

  • LONDON: @JAGUARSHOES,  SHOREDITCH. NOVEMBER 2013 / FEB 2014
  • CAPE TOWN: @EVERARD READ GALLERY, V&A WATERFRONT, APRIL 2017
  • ARTROOM 9 MUNICH – OCTOBER 2018
  • THE STUDIO GALLERY – CAPE TOWN – OCTOBER 2021-23

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ASIA MONSOON EXHIBITION:

After New York, I started wondering what the rest of the planet looked like from under a brolly. This Asian collection was shot on a similar theme throughout the summer of 2014. There are ± 6 images each from Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Bangkok in a further exploration of the reflection theme in the New York snow-show – just on the other side of the planet. They are all single, in-camera exposures with some colour adjustment for continuity.

  • JAN ROYCE GALLERY  Cape Town  –  Dec 2015

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JOBURG PREVIEW 

I crawled away from Joburg with a bloody smile and a bruised ego. Everything yet not much has changed since I lived there 20 years ago.

  • JAN ROYCE GALLERY  Cape Town  –  Dec 2015

MÜNICH PREVIEW 

Sooo much rain…first time I wished it would go away for a bit. Not a good place to give up smoking. (Along with Vienna the two least photogenic cities on earth! 🙂

  • JAN ROYCE GALLERY  Cape Town  –  Dec 2015
  • ARTROOM 9 – Munich October 2018

 CAPE TOWN 

Almost all these shots were taken on one amazing bright stormy day after 4 months of waiting. 

*UPDATE* Soon to be fleshed out with some drizzled beauties from the wettest winter in 47 years!

  • JAN ROYCE GALLERY  Cape Town  –  Dec 2015

LONDON 

Funky, old and proud.

Most recent series – mixed media on hardboard, various sizes. Journey from Brockley to Holburn.

  • @JAGUARSHOES,  SHOREDITCH.  FEB 2014
  • STUDIO Gallery Cape town 2022/23
  • Current mixed media show on the brew… 2023

VIETNAM

Favourite country, favourite people along with Thailand. Ultra modern yet steeped in history. So jealous as a South African, finding only peace and giggles here after all they’ve been through. Import free market communism to Africa? Why not? …just make sure we steal their soup and noodles too…

  • Covid has it’s sanitised paws all over this work. Shot in 2019, the plan is to exhibit in Hanoi 2024. Watch this space 🙂

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