Yet I did not know this when I stumbled across his workshop.

In the Summer of 2024 I was lucky enough to find myself staying on Tabard Street for a couple of weeks. Nestled between Borough Market and Bermondsey, I spent the first few days strolling around to try and get some grasp of my bearings.

It was on one of those days that I came across a large, light filled window only two minutes from my front door.

I was immediately intrigued by what I could see: wood shavings littering the floorboards; tools of all shapes and sizes hanging on the walls and scattered amongst papers on desks and workbenches; illustrations of ornate designs next to blocks of chiselled wood.

I went home and immediately began to research who owned this workshop. After a while, I stumbled across Hugh’s name and then, with great awe, his works.

Hugh “builds objects from a different era”* – some of his creations take, in the case of one quite famous chair, ten years to complete (it “contains a full carved narrative about the opium trade in the Far East and a tumultuous warning about marriage.”*)

Every single phase of his work, from initial concept through to the carving itself, is done by his hand. This is the ultimate analogue artist, and I am beyond thankful I got the opportunity to shoot with him.

On that note, I thought I’d approach him in an equally analogue manner and wrote him a letter asking if he would be open to allow me to shoot a couple rolls of film whilst I am saying in such close proximity.

To my delight, he accepted, and invited me over the very next day.

I hope you enjoy these.

* Quotes taken from this article about Hugh and his work.