Simon Hughes (b. 1973, Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian artist known for his whimsical yet critical explorations of regionalism, modernism, and Canadian identity. Working primarily in watercolour, collage, and mixed media, Hughes creates imagined northern landscapes and urban environments, blending influences from Canadian abstraction, childhood nostalgia, and contemporary visual culture.
His work reinterprets the Canadian abstract canon, drawing inspiration from Paul Klee, Arthur Dove, and Claude Tousignant. Through his fantastical architectural renderings, he envisions playful, modular cityscapes populated by "sticker" people, engaging in a dialogue about stereotypes and contemporary Canadian communities.
Hughes' large-scale multi-paneled watercolours and video installations have been exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada, Winnipeg Art Gallery, Plug In ICA, and internationally at museums and film festivals. He has received multiple grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, as well as the Manitoba and Winnipeg Arts Councils.
