E. J. Hughes

Edward John Hughes, (February 17, 1913 – January 5, 2007), known as E. J. Hughes was a Canadian painter, known for his images of the land and sea in British Columbia

Hughes was born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and spent a significant part of his childhood in Nanaimo, British Columbia.

Raised during the Depression, E. J. Hughes studied at the Vancouver School of Applied Art and Design. E. J. Hughes graduated in 1933. His talent was recognized early on in his career. One of his teachers was Frederick Varley of the Group of Seven, and another member, Lawren Harris, recommended him for the inaugural Emily Carr Scholarship.

Hughes’ paintings are best known for their strong and appealing images of the landscape and seascape of British Columbia. Because of such, Jack Shadbolt described Hughes as “the most engaging intuitive painter of the BC landscape since Emily Carr.”

His distinctive style of painting is marked by the use of flattened space, skewed perspective, and simplified shapes. The paintings combine compelling clarity with a sense of the unknown and an appreciation for natural surroundings.

Here are some of his photos.