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About

Hugo McCloud recontextualizes and reframes the perception of common objects and materials through a diverse practice that highlights process, social economics, and beauty. As a self-taught artist with a background in industrial design, he has made paintings with materials ranging from plastic bags, liquid tar, and roofing paper marked with elaborate floral patterns. These materials reflect his background as biracial and from a working-class family, while the content often suggests his family’s artistic leanings. While McCloud’s early work leaned towards abstraction, his later work has become more figurative, often depicting either workers carrying towering loads on their backs and pushing overfilled carts, or simple floral arrangements.

McCloud has created a unique technique that has become his primary working strategy—the manipulation of commercial single-use shopping bags into texturally rich swaths of color, creating complex and visually stunning forms. These paintings are composed entirely of primary colors by layering and melting the bags. Observing the lifecycle of the bags throughout an economy of goods and labor, McCloud is inspired by how this ubiquitous material passes through the hands of individuals at every level of society. His flower paintings, like traditional floral still-lives, with their unique forms and temporality speak to the passage of time and changing of seasons. Another body of work focuses on paintings of fruit cart umbrellas—ubiquitous in all neighborhoods throughout the city—that double as representations of both labor and hope. Using the non-biodegradable plastic to conjure natural forms, McCloud’s works also push the viewer to consider contradictions present in contemporary society relating to industrialization and the natural world.

Hugo McCloud was born in Palo Alto, California, in 1980, and lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

McCloud has been the subject of solo exhibitions at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, Connecticut, The Arts Club, London and Fondazione 107, in Turin, Italy. He has also been featured in group exhibitions at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia, the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, and The Drawing Center, New York. His work is in the collections of the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., the North Carolina Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of the Arts, The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, the Brooklyn Museum, the Mott Warsh Collection, and The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection.

Selected Works

This image depicts an artwork by Hugo McCloud titled "June 6, 2023." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 21 ¹⁄₂" x 17 ¹⁄₂" x 2 ¹⁄₄" [HxWxD] (54.61 x 44.45 x 5.71 cm) Framed. Its medium is Single use plastic, oil paint on panel.
Hugo McCloud
“June 6, 2023,” 2023
This image depicts an artwork by Hugo McCloud titled "between the moments." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 95" x 88" [HxW] (241.3 x 223.52 cm). Its medium is Aluminum foil, aluminum coating and oil paint on tar paper, mounted on wood.
Hugo McCloud
“between the moments,” 2023
This image depicts an artwork by Hugo McCloud titled "July 26, 2023." This artwork was created in 2023 and measures 21 ¹⁄₂" x 17 ¹⁄₂" x 2 ¹⁄₄" [HxWxD] (54.61 x 44.45 x 5.71 cm) Framed. Its medium is Single use plastic, oil paint on panel.
Hugo McCloud
"July 26, 2023," 2023
Hugo McCloud “Hail to the king,” 2022
Hugo McCloud
“Hail to the king,” 2022
Hugo McCloud “open palm,” 2022
Hugo McCloud
“open palm,” 2022
Hugo McCloud “tiempo,” 2022
Hugo McCloud
“tiempo,” 2022
Hugo McCloud “standing break,” 2022
Hugo McCloud
“standing break,” 2022
Hugo McCloud “Untitled,” 2022
Hugo McCloud
“Untitled,” 2022
Hugo McCloud “August 15, 2021,” 2021
Hugo McCloud
“August 15, 2021,” 2021
Hugo McCloud “the burden of man; waiting to breathe,” 2021
Hugo McCloud
“the burden of man; waiting to breathe,” 2021
Hugo McCloud “Right of Way,” 2021
Hugo McCloud
“Right of Way,” 2021
Hugo McCloud “translated memories,” 2021
Hugo McCloud
“translated memories,” 2021
Hugo McCloud “Side walking,” 2020
Hugo McCloud
“Side walking,” 2020
Hugo McCloud “nine to five,” 2019
Hugo McCloud
“nine to five,” 2019
Hugo McCloud "retention," 2018
Hugo McCloud
"retention," 2018
Hugo McCloud "hidden truths," 2018
Hugo McCloud
"hidden truths," 2018
Installation view, Solo Exhibition at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 2018, Photo credit: Jeff McLane
Installation view, Solo Exhibition at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 2018
Installation view, Solo Exhibition at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 2018, Photo credit: Jeff McLane
Installation view, Solo Exhibition at Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, 2018

Exhibitions

1980
Born in Palo Alto, CA
Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA
2002
Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Alabama

Selected Solo and Two Person Exhibitions

2024
"Hugo McCloud: As for Now," Sean Kelly, New York, NY
2022
"tiempo," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
"Art in Focus: Hugo McCloud," Rockefeller Center, New York, NY
2021
"translated memories," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
"from where i stand," The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT
"Hugo McCloud: Burdened," Sean Kelly, New York, NY
2018
"This and Everything Else," Susanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects, Culver City, CA
"Hugo McCloud: Metal Paintings," Sean Kelly, Brooklyn, NY
2016
"Hugo McCloud: Veiled," Sean Kelly, New York, NY
2015
"Hugo McCloud," The Arts Club, London, UK
"Timeline," Fondazione 107, Turin, Italy
2014
"Hugo McCloud: Palindrome," Sean Kelly, New York, NY
"Hugo McCloud: Muted Noise," Luce Gallery, Turin, Italy
"Hugo McCloud: Put in Place," Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, New York, NY

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024-2025
"Invisible Luggage," Historic Hampton House, Miami, FL
2024
"The Poetics of Dimensions," Institute of Contemporary Art San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (Link)
2022
"Plants Now!," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2021
"20 Years," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2020
"100 Drawings from Now," The Drawing Center, New York, NY
2019
"Sculpture," Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
2017
"No Evidence of Sign," Luce Gallery, Turin, Italy
"On The Road: American Abstraction," David Klein Gallery, Detroit, MI
2015
"A Constellation," Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY
"I Know You Got Soul," ARNDT Singapore Gallery, Singapore
2014
"From Pre-History to Post-Everything," Sean Kelly, New York, NY
"De Generation Of Painting," Fondazione 107, Turin, Italy
"OPEN," Papillion, Los Angeles, CA
2013
"Pattern Recognition," MoCADA, Brooklyn, NY
2012
Art Basel Miami, N’Namdi Contemporary Gallery, Miami, FL
"Ryan Keeley and Hugo McCloud: From the mind of Mateo Mize," ArtNowNY, New York, NY
"Young Curators New Ideas IV, Beautiful Refuse: Materiality," Meulensteen Gallery, New York, NY

Bibliography

2024
Ologundudu, Folasade. "Getting Vulnerable with Hugo McCloud," Elephant, June 12 (Link)
Schultz, Charles M. "Hugo McCloud with Charles M. Schultz," The Brooklyn Rail, June 3 (Link)
James, Aurora. "To the Artist Hugo McCloud, Even Dead Flowers Are Worth Painting," Interview, June 3 (Link)
Pogrebin, Robin. "Anatomy of a Success Story: How One Artist Broke Through," The NY Times, June 2 (Link)
Shaar, Chloe. "Hugo Mccloud Uses Art To Examine The Self," BlackBook Presents, May 23 (Link)
"Hugo McCloud," Art in America, March
2023
Waga, Nel-Olivia. "Art For The Oceans: How Parley And Art Basel Create Impact," Forbes, December 12 (Link)
2022
Can Yerebakan, Osman. "Hugo McCloud Turns Plastic Bags into Blossoming Paintings on Invisible Labor," Artsy, September 7 (Link)
Fontaine, Pearl. “Hugo McCloud Captivates Rockefeller Center with Largest Plastic Painting Yet,” Whitewall Art, May 13
Scheider, Julie Smith. "Art in Focus: For Artist Hugo McCloud, There’s Beauty in Struggle," Rockerfeller Center Magazine, April 15 (Link)
Armstrong, Robert. “When a bank lobby is better than a white cube for seeing art,” The Financial Times, February 22
"Rockefeller Center Kicks Off 2022 Public Art Program With a 125-Foot Mural, New Line-Up of Artists," Artfix Daily, January 18
2021
Yang, Catherine. "Pick of the Week: Hugo McCloud," artillery, December 15 (Link)
Seymour, Tom & Gareth Harris. "Portrait of a pandemic: five works at Art Basel that confront Covid-19," The Art Newspaper, September 24 (Link)
Donoghue, Katy. "Hugo McCloud: Using Plastic to Paint, Draw Connections, and Ask Questions," Whitewall Art Magazine, August 11 (Link)
Staff, Artsy. "What I Buy and Why: Bronx Museum Trustee Richard Torres on Supporting Artists of Color, and the Picasso He’d Most Love to Pilfer," Artsy, June 28 (Link)
Valluzzo, Andrea. "Painting with plastic: Artist builds his paintings with experimental mediums in Aldrich show," New Haven Register, June 17 (Link)
Wallis, Stephen. "The Painterly, Provocative Art That Uses Humble Plastic Bags," Wall Street Journal Magazine, June 2 (Link)
McLoud, Hugo. "Hugo McCloud on Painting With Plastic," Art in America, February 3
Hernandez, Jasmin. "We Are Here: Visionaries of Color Transforming the Art World," Abrams, 2021
Fontaine, Pearl. "Hugo McCloud Paints with Single-Use Plastic in “Burdened”," Whitewall, January 18
2019
Boucher, Brian. "Cracking the Millennial Market: How Art Businesses Are Tweaking Their Strategies to Target the Next Generation of Collectors," artnet, July 8 (Link)
2018
Nash, David. "Kendall Wilkinson Outfits the $15.5 Million Penthouse at San Francisco's 181 Fremont," Architectural Digest, October 30 (Link)
Miranda, Carolina, "Datebook: A new performance festival, art about sound and a museum's Friday night party," LA Times (web), July 19 (Link)
Carrigan, Margaret, "How Artist Hugo McCloud Is Taking Metal to New Heights," Galerie Magazine (web), June 11 (Link)
"How to Wear Workwear Right Now," GQ Magazine (web), May 23 (Link)
Johnson, Noah, "Get Back to Workwear," GQ Magazine, May
Winston, Randy, "Hugo McCloud: An Interview," Brooklyn Magazine, March 23
Lucien, Lyne, “Meet Hugo McCloud, the Artist Who Makes Metal Beautiful,” Daily Beast (web), March 23
Carrigan, Margaret, "6 Tips for Artists on How to Talk about Their Art," Artsy, March 13
"A Conversation With Hugo McCloud," Master and Dynamic, March 9
Cooke, Riley, "Cy Twombly, Cyprien Gaillard, Hugo McCloud: Must See New York Shows," White Wall, March 7
2017
Browne, Alix, "Meet the Victorious Minotaurs: D'Angelo Russell, Halima Aden, Hugo McCloud, Ducki Thot and More Stars of Riccardo Tisci's Dream Team," W Magazine, October 10
Najjar, Christina, "Three New York City Artists to Follow on Instagram This Month," Hamptons (web), June 5 (Link)
Battaglia, Andy. “Traveling Exhibition and Brooklyn Museum Fete to Honor Joyner / Giuffrida Collection of African- Diasporan Art,” ARTnews, March 7
Sussman, Anna Louie. “What Sold at the Armory Show,” Artsy, March 5
Palon, Nina. “Hugo McCloud Owns His Mistakes | Studio Visits,” The Creators Project, Februrary 2
“Last Chance: Hugo McCloud at the Sean Kelly Gallery, New York,” Blouin Art Info, January 17
Cascone, Sarah. “See How Hugo McCloud Makes a Painting,” ArtNet News, January 11
Binolt, Ann, “Artist Hugo McCloud Searches for Overlooked Beauty in ‘Veiled’.” Forbes, January 11
Rosen, Miss. “Made You Look: Hugo McCloud Transforms the Detritus of Life into Works of Art,” Crave Magazine, January 9
2016
Jurgensen, John. “2017 Resolutions: Cultural Goals For the New Year,” The Wall Street Journal, December 20
McMahon, Katherine. “Scenes from Art Basel, Miami Beach, Part 5”, December 2
Sargent, Antwaun. “The Welder’s Paintbrush,” Cultured Magazine, December
“Looking Ahead: December/January 2017.” Surface Magazine, November
Loos, Ted. “Righting Wrongs and Generating Attention for Art of the African Diaspora.” The New York Times, October 16
Deutsch, Anna. “A Quality Cut with Hugo McCloud,” The Window, March 1
“Studio Visit with Hugo McCloud in Bushwick, Brooklyn,” Gallery Gurls, February 23
Biswas, Allie. “Hugo McCloud: ‘I Respect the Beauty in the Things That Are Overlooked’,” Studio International, January 2
2015
“The Year in Black Art: January 2015,” Culture Type, December 31
“Art: A Constellation,” The New Yorker, December
“Art Scene: Hugo McCloud,” Architectural Digest, December
“The Curator Cure,” Artforum, November 16
Wallis, Stephen and Sam Cochran, Michael Slenske, and Pernilla Holmes, "8 Incredible Artists on the Rise," Architectural Digest, November 10
McKeough, Tim. “Andre Mellon Likes Drawing Rooms,” Introspective Magazine, September 14
“Yankee Artists Help London Arts Club Thrive,” The Observer, September 3
Schoefer-Wulf, Maxine. “Hugo McCloud,” Little Paper Planes Shop Blog, May 25
Burris, Asia. “Watch Melo-X’s ‘McCloud in Process,’ Short Film,” Saint Heron, April 9
“McCloud in Process by Melo-X,” Purple Fashion Magazine, April 4
Evans, Ayana. “Hugo McCloud,” Gallerina Diaries, February 25
Pasquarella, Sheri. “’Palindrome’ at Sean Kelly, 30 Jan 2015 – 14 Mar 2015,” SLP, February 13
Kim, Deanna. “The Best Art Exhibitions to See This Month,” Complex, February 7
Simmon, William J. “Action painting: The body electric,” Christie’s, February 2015
“In NYC This Weekend? Here Are 4 Art Exhibitions You Must See,” Blackbook, February
Miller, M.H. “Hugo McCloud joins Sean Kelly Gallery,” ArtNews, January 7
“Top Exhibitions Opening This Week In New York (January 26 – February 1),” Whitewall, January
2014
Anderson, Charlotte and David Bazner. “10 GQ-Approved Artists You Should Know at Art Basel Miami: Hugo McCloud,” GQ, December
“August in Pictures: From Pre-History to Post-Everything,” Art Haps, August 6
Makoma, Portia. “From Pre-History to Post Everything,” The Examiner.com, July 23
“Various artists, From Pre-History to Post-Everything, Sean Kelly New York, USA,” Aesthetica, July
“From Pre-History to Post-Everything,” UnDo.Net, June 26
Boatright, Kristen. “VIDEO: Hugo McCloud Takes His Place in the Art World,” Artinfo, June 6
“'From Pre-History to Post-Everything' opens at Sean Kelly Gallery in New York,” Artdaily, June
Anderson, Stacey. “Hugo McCloud: Artist by Design,” The New York Times, May 28 (Link)
Small, Rachel. “A Room Full of Roof: Hugo McCloud,” Interview, May 16 (Link)
Silver, Leigh. “Interview: Hugo McCloud Talks Inventing a Whole New Way to Paint,” Complex, May 10
Shiffman, Allyson. “Hugo McCloud Is On a Journey,” W Magazine, May 9 (Link)
2013
“Pattern Recognition Opens at MoCADA,” Huffington Post, September 25
Sutton, Benjamin. “Looking for the Tradition of Black Abstraction at MoCADA,” Blouin Art Info, August 5
Thorne, James. “Pattern Recognition at MoCADA,” Cool Hunting, July 18
Jones, Allison Channing. "The Next Generation: Hugo McCloud, Kambui Olujimi and E.J. Hill," The Studio Museum in Harlem Magazine, Winter/Spring 2013, p. 34

Group Exhibition Catalogues and Books

2021
Klein, Richard. "Hugo McCloud," The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, Connecticut and Hatje-Cantz-Verlag, Berlin, Germany
2017
Brielmayer, Isolde. "Hugo McCloud: Painting," Sean Kelly Gallery and Hatje-Cantz-Verlag, Berlin, Germany
2016
Martin, Courtney J. "Four Generations: The Joyner/Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art," New York, NY
Phaidon Editors, "Vitamin P3: New Perspectives in Painting," London, UK

Awards, Grants and Fellowships

2016
Artist in Residence, Bellas Artes Projects, Manila, Philippines

Public Collections

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
Hort Family Collection, New York, NY
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington D.C.
North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, NC
The Joyner Giuffrida Collection of Abstract Art, San Francisco, CA
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, Miami, Florida