Patrick Hughes
Biography
Patrick Hughes (b. 1939, Birmingham) is a pioneering British artist best known for inventing "reverspective," a form of optical illusion where painted scenes appear to move as viewers shift position. Fascinated by perception and paradox, Hughes began his career after studying at James Graham Day College in Leeds and teaching at Leeds College of Art.
His first solo exhibition in 1961 at Portal Gallery, London, marked him as an early figure in British Pop Art, but it was his later development of reverspective that established his enduring legacy. Combining geometric constructions with meticulously painted imagery, Hughes creates interactive works that challenge viewers' spatial understanding. His major exhibitions include participation in the Vancouver Biennale (2009–2011), where he debuted large-scale outdoor pieces, and The Newest Perspective (2023) at Alon Zakaim Fine Art, London, featuring works from his evolving Solid Hollows series.
Hughes’s art is held in leading public collections such as Tate Britain, the British Library, the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, and the Denver Art Museum. He is also the author of books like Paradoxymoron (2011), which explores the interplay between language, logic, and visual illusion. Living and working in London, Hughes continues to captivate global audiences by questioning the very nature of visual reality.