Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hugh Hayden’s work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden often utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures. Here, Hayden’s trompe l’oeil sculpture of a pair of logs—one resting gently against the other as if to suggest the human hand or the intervention of an axe—turns this medium on its head. Through the meticulous application of Sharptail grouse feathers arranged precisely on cardboard tubes to form an illusory wood grain, Hayden reconstructs the discarded trunk as both object and subject, simultaneously real and unreal, camouflaged and strikingly honest.

Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hugh Hayden’s work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden often utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures. Here, Hayden’s trompe l’oeil sculpture of a pair of logs—one resting gently against the other as if to suggest the human hand or the intervention of an axe—turns this medium on its head. Through the meticulous application of Sharptail grouse feathers arranged precisely on cardboard tubes to form an illusory wood grain, Hayden reconstructs the discarded trunk as both object and subject, simultaneously real and unreal, camouflaged and strikingly honest.

Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hugh Hayden’s work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden often utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures. Here, Hayden’s trompe l’oeil sculpture of a pair of logs—one resting gently against the other as if to suggest the human hand or the intervention of an axe—turns this medium on its head. Through the meticulous application of Sharptail grouse feathers arranged precisely on cardboard tubes to form an illusory wood grain, Hayden reconstructs the discarded trunk as both object and subject, simultaneously real and unreal, camouflaged and strikingly honest.

Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hugh Hayden’s work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden often utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures. Here, Hayden’s trompe l’oeil sculpture of a pair of logs—one resting gently against the other as if to suggest the human hand or the intervention of an axe—turns this medium on its head. Through the meticulous application of Sharptail grouse feathers arranged precisely on cardboard tubes to form an illusory wood grain, Hayden reconstructs the discarded trunk as both object and subject, simultaneously real and unreal, camouflaged and strikingly honest.

Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hugh Hayden’s work arises from a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. Hayden often utilizes wood as his primary medium, frequently loaded with multi-layered histories in their origin, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees or souvenir African sculptures. Here, Hayden’s trompe l’oeil sculpture of a pair of logs—one resting gently against the other as if to suggest the human hand or the intervention of an axe—turns this medium on its head. Through the meticulous application of Sharptail grouse feathers arranged precisely on cardboard tubes to form an illusory wood grain, Hayden reconstructs the discarded trunk as both object and subject, simultaneously real and unreal, camouflaged and strikingly honest.