Constructivist artist, painter and teacher, born in Manchester. From 1938-9 he
attended the College of Art there, then the Royal College of Art in 1946-50. He
taught part-time initially at Bath Academy of Art, (1960-70.) Hughes had his
first one-man show at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1965. From 1966-70
he taught at Chelsea School of Art where John Ernest and Anthony Hill
were among his colleagues. From 1970 he taught at the Slade School of
Fine Art. In 1969 Hughes was co-founder, with Jeffrey Steele, of the Systems
Group, organising the Arts Council ‘Systems’ exhibition of 1972-73
Among the important group shows he contributed to were Four Artists:
Reliefs, Constructions and Drawings, at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 1971;
Basically White at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in 1974; and British Art in
the 60’s, Tate Gallery in 1977. He had a one-man show at Annely Juda Fine Art,
London in 1977. He also appeared in many overseas group shows, and in
The Non-Objective World Revisited at Annely Juda Fine Art in 1988.
Hughes’ work is held by the British Council and Manchester City Art Galleries.
The artist Jean Spencer was Hughes’ companion for over 25 years, becoming his
second wife in 1997. The Tate Gallery held a joint memorial show in 1999.
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