Connor Hughes

b. 1993, Elmhurst, IL

While making art I get to play with the universe, creating chaos and then introducing structure and order. I seek to cultivate exactly the right amount of order, leaving much of the initial unstructured work alone, which allows me to process the trauma of living and letting go of that which I cannot control. I am unable to undo the lines superimposed on the chaotic background which makes for an exercise in accepting past actions and seeking how to create balance from the resulting composition. As a result I grow alongside my art and each piece feels alive. My pieces often begin without me knowing the end result, presenting infinite trajectories, but ultimately one end that feels right and finally settles in asking for no more.

The heavy mark-making is a nod to the fearlessness of graffiti and its emulation of the troubled and shameless beauty created by humans as they collaborate and clash with nature and one another. Each piece explores the interrelated nature of what humans create and what they are. Some pieces are influenced by the tension of engaging with looming current events or concerns related to the environmental or technological future. Others are filled with the exuberance of connecting to all that exists and love for other human beings whose creations validate my own shaky existence.