Born in 1966, Hugo spent his childhood on a farm in the North of Zimbabwe. This early experience of space and the freedom to explore, strongly influenced his later decisions to work outdoors. Firstly, five years in the British army and then, ten years tobacco farming, and now pursuing Elephants throughout Africa. It is from these experiences with Elephant that he creates from, combining painting with black & white photography on canvas.

It was during his senior school years at Ampleforth College in North Yorkshire, England (1980 - 85) that Hugo discovered his love for photography. Many hours were spent in the school dark rooms and he had an image published in Country LIfe Magazine.

In a very memorable snow storm Hugo married Alice in Hereford, England in December 1990. Two years later they left England to go farming in Zimbabwe where they remained for ten years until the middle of 2002 when the farming industry was closed down by the Zimbabwe Government. It was during this period that their daughter Zoe was born followed by twin boys, Ivan and Dima.
The loss of the farm along with a stint in jail, for his support of the opposition, made Hugo think carefully about his next career. While farming he had often thought about combining the colour of oils with black & white photography and using Elephant as the main subject matter. Three years on and Hugo has held two successful solo exhibitions in the Arndean Gallery in Cork Street, London and has also exhibited in New York, Dallas, Reno, Zimbabwe and Cape Town. He is rapidly gaining an international reputation.

Hugo believes in conservation and in preserving and protecting the earth’s “development-free” areas. He feels very privileged that one of England’s greatest conservationists and artists, David Shepherd, opened both of his exhibitions in London.

In December 2004 Hugo and his family moved to Cape Town in South Africa.In October 2005 they are moving from Cape Town and going to the Eastern Cape.

about_hugo

http://www.hugofirx.com/about_hugo.html