Last updated: 27 October 2026
Patrick Hughes is the London artist who invented the reverspective, a painted relief that seems to move as you walk past it. Here you will find our take on his work, his 2026 shows, and where to buy his multiples in the UK.
Our take on Patrick Hughes
A reverspective is built from wooden pyramids painted in perspective the wrong way round, so the furthest point of the scene sits closest to you. Walk past and the room or street appears to shift. Hughes made his first one in 1964.
He traces the idea to a wartime childhood in Crewe, sheltering in the cupboard under his grandparents’ stairs. “I was looking up at these stairs the wrong way round – stairs that only a spider could walk up,” he writes in his own biography. A second clue came in 1963, watching railway lines meet at a point on Leeds Central station.
His newest works, the Solid Hollow series, apply the same trick to book piles, suitcases and chairs. Multiples are the way in for most collectors.
Patrick Hughes: the essentials
- Born in Birmingham in October 1939; lives and works in Hoxton, London, according to his own biography.
- First solo show in 1961 in Mayfair, with a catalogue introduction by the critic David Sylvester. He taught at Leeds College of Art in the 1960s.
- Has shown with Flowers Gallery since 1970.
- Awarded a Doctor of Science by the University of London in 2014 for his contribution to the psychology of perception.
- His work is held by Tate, the British Library, the British Academy and the Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow.
- Author of books on paradox and wordplay, including Vicious Circles and Infinity and Paradoxymoron.
Patrick Hughes exhibitions
- On now: The Illusion of Space, Scott Richards Contemporary Art, San Francisco, 3 October to 14 November 2026.
- IN FOCUS: Patrick Hughes, Flowers Gallery, Hong Kong, 17 September to 17 October 2026.
- Moving Space, Beaux Arts, Kew, London, 28 March to 5 June 2026.
- Paradox of Motion, Proyecto H Gallery, Mexico City, 3 February to 4 April 2026.
Where to buy a Patrick Hughes
His multiples are hand-finished reliefs in small editions:
- Bookshop, 2026: a Solid Hollow multiple, archival inkjet, hand finished, 74 x 39.3 x 26.5 cm (29 x 15.5 x 10.5 in), edition of 60, available through Reverspective, his studio, on enquiry, according to his site.
- Hang-Up Gallery, London: sells his multiples and originals. Its 2024 multiple Titles, an edition of 35, was £6,000 including VAT at release. See Hang-Up Gallery for current stock.
Patrick Hughes FAQs
What is a reverspective?
A painted relief built in reverse perspective, so the furthest point is closest to you. As you move, the scene appears to move too.
When did Patrick Hughes make his first reverspective?
In 1964, according to his own biography.
Where can I see Patrick Hughes’s work in the UK?
Tate, the British Library and the British Academy hold his work, and Flowers Gallery and Hang-Up Gallery show it.
How much is a Patrick Hughes multiple?
Recent multiples have been priced in the thousands. Titles (2024) was £6,000 at release from Hang-Up Gallery.
More from CoolCuration
- British Art Fair review: where to see modern British art for sale.
- Great Art Explained: James Payne’s guide to how famous works were made.
- Best affordable art in the UK: where to start collecting.
- Gifts for artists: our edit of presents for people who make things.
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Main image: Patrick Hughes in his studio. Photo courtesy of the artist. Cropped and framed by CoolCuration. Exhibition dates and prices last checked: 27 October 2026.
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