HUGH SOWDEN
Artist
HOUSE OF SOWDEN INTERNATIONAL LTD
British artist Hugh Sowden has spent the major part of his life exploring the world in search of the origins of mankind.
With a background of the English countryside and his studies at British art colleges, his travels of adventure have taken him to Europe, the Far East, the West Indies, the Middle East and Africa. Each new experience has left a distinct impression upon his life and art. Each era has illuminated a particular characteristic though all are interconnected using his own personal style. Throughout his work, there is a strong classical element.
During Sowden’s career, he has developed his passion for painting and as an interior, architectural and landscape designer. After decades of living abroad, he has amassed a large collection of his own works including paintings, prints, photographs, poetry and prose.
His first solo exhibition of paintings was with the British Council in Dacca and later, while exhibiting paintings at the ‘Grollo D’Oro’, Italy, he was awarded an Art Diploma. Returning to the UK, he had a series of exhibitions including a solo exhibition at the Blayden Gallery in Cork Street, The Art’s Council Exhibition at The Royal Academy and The Commonwealth Institute, London. For the last thirty years, the artist has lived in Egypt and for most of that time, worked as Head of Visual and Performing Arts at the British International School in Cairo. As a visiting visual art examiner for the International Baccalaureate, he travelled to many countries contributing to International School Arts Festivals.
In 1993, he took an architectural course at Cambridge University (Art and Education) under the leadership of Sir Richard Rogers and Sir Norman Foster. This gave him the opportunity to further his fascination with architecture and interior design, to create installations which are Sowden’s Three Dimensional Paintings.
Major works include the interior design of All Saint’s Cathedral in Cairo, the Stained Glass Windows and the Corolla culminating in the 30 meter Millennium Frescoes.
As Concept Design Artist he designed the new British School in Alexandria, constructed in 2004. Further three dimensional paintings can be seen in the house and gardens of ‘Paradise’, Dahshour, near the Pyramids and Malkata Palace near the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Egypt These were featured in the Conde Nast publication ‘World of Interiors’.
Sowden’s most recent work expresses his involvement with ancient Pharaonic culture and its relationship and influence on contemporary society. Here he creates visions of their Gods and Goddesses, temples and treasures, of landscapes barely changed since the birth of civilisation. They emphasis the metamorphosis of primitive spiritual beliefs with contemporary notions of modern day religions. There are to be discovered many symbolic images and textural references within the artist’s work, which materialise in visions of the Divine. They continue to express the transience of life and our own mortality.
Hugh Sowden is currently living in the grounds of a ruined castle in Knighton, Wales where he has a permanent exhibition in The White House.
Exhibitions and Design Work 1970 - 2014
1970 Solo exhibition British Council Dhaka Bangladesh
1971 Art expedition India and Middle East
1972-73 Solo exhibition Boch Castle Teheran Iran
1975 Joint exhibition Blayden Gallery, Cork Street London UK
1976 Solo exhibition Blayden Gallery London UK
1976 Solo exhibition Bolivar Gallery Kingston Jamaica
1976-79 Joint exhibition Commonwealth Institute, Caribbean
Artists London UK
1977 Solo exhibition Marlborough House Brighton UK
1977 Joint exhibition Axis Gallery Brighton UK
1978 Joint exhibition Cootes Gallery Lewis UK
1978 Joint exhibition Studio 54 London UK
1978 Joint exhibition Glyndebourne Opera House Glyndeborne UK
1979 Joint exhibition Royal Academy Arts Council Exhibition
London UK
1979 Joint exhibition Caribbean Artists Commonwealth Institute London UK
1979 Joint exhibition Grollo D’Oro International Arts Festival
Venice Italy
1979 Joint exhibition Religious Arts Festival Padua Italy
1980 Solo exhibition American International Bank Birmingham UK
1980 Joint exhibition Chelsea Arts Club London UK
1980 Solo exhibition Chenil Gallery London UK
1981 Painting expedition Zimbabwe and Malawi Central Africa Africa
1984 Solo exhibition Aida Gallery Cairo Egypt
1985 Joint exhibition Mariott Hotel Cairo Egypt
1985-90 3D installation Queen’s Birthday Ball Stage design
British Embassy Cairo Egypt
1987 3D installation Interior design Harvington Hall Trust Worcestershire UK
1988-90 3D installation Interior design Stained Glass Windows and Corola All Saints Cathedral Cairo Egypt
1989 Solo exhibition El Yemeni Gallery Cairo Egypt
1992 3D installation Interior/landscape Architectural design
Yellow Rock Ecological Lodge Sinai Egypt Architecture/ Cambridge University Interior design Corola All Saints Cathedral
1989 Solo exhibition El Yemeni Gallery Cairo Egypt
1992 3D installation Interior/landscape Architectural design Yellow Rock Ecological Lodge Sinai Egypt
1993 Architecture/ Educational Project Cambridge University
Building Experiences Trust Cambridge UK
1993-2012 Art/Education International Baccalaureate Exhibition Assessments/ Examiner
1994-2005 3D installation Architectural/ interior landscape design Paradise Dahshour Egypt Publication ‘World of Interiors’ Conde Nast, London UK
1994 Joint exhibition International Schools Arts Festival
Dubai UAE
1995 Solo exhibition Ministry of Culture National Cultural
Centre Cairo Opera House Egypt
1995 Joint exhibition International School Arts Festival Abu Dhabi UAE
1996 Joint exhibition BISC Cairo Egypt
1998-99 3D installation Architectural/ concept design Semiram Co Cairo Egypt
1999 Solo exhibition Three Choirs Festival Worcester Cathedral Worcestershire UK
2000 3D installation Interiordesign Millennium Frescoes All Saints Cathedral Cairo Egypt
2000 Joint exhibition Camel Hotel Sharm El Sheik Egypt
2001 Joint exhibition Nataq Exhibition Cairo Egypt
2001 Solo exhibition La Bodegea Karim Frances Gallery Cairo Egypt
2001-12 3D installation Interior / architectural design Osiris Educational Lincolnshire UK
2002 Solo exhibition West Oxfordshire Arts Gallery Oxford UK
2002 Joint exhibition Saint Margaret’s Hospice Illminster
Somerset UK
2003 Solo exhibition EPAC Gallery Four Seasons Hotel Cairo Egypt
2004 Solo exhibition Adonis Gallery London UK
2003-05 3D installation Design architect British School Alexandria Egypt
2005 Publication ‘Taschen’ World of Architecture ‘Houses of Egypt’ Germany
2003-05 3D installation Design architect British School Alexandria Egypt
2005 Publication ‘Taschen’ World of Architecture ‘Houses of Egypt’ Germany 2007-11 3D installation Interior/architectural design ‘Malkata Palace’ Luxor Egypt Publication World of Interiors Conde Nast London UK
2008 Joint exhibition International Arts Festival American School Beirut Lebanon
2009 3D installation Interior/ architectural design Villa Min Agami Alexandria Egypt
2010 Joint exhibition Festival of Harmony Cairo Egypt
2012 3D installation Landscape design The Floating Garden
Osiris Educational Lincolnshire UK
2012 Solo Exhibition This Beautiful World Atelier Gallery Cairo Egypt
2013 Joint exhibition The White House Knighton Castle Wales UK
2013 3D installation Architectural/ interior/ landscape design
Finca La Lola Osiris Educational Malaga Spain
THIS IS HIS PHARAONIC SERIES 1.
