Jacob Hugh

This collection was a reaction to my grandad being admitted to hospital

last year, seeing such a steadfast figure in my life as a husk of himself

made me grieve all the opportunities I had missed with him. A highly

skilled mechanic renowned in Rye for his ability to fisk anything made

of metal.He is always referred to as a man of few words but he would

show care in other ways. Making us toys, boats, swings and petrol

powered go karts. He is the reason I wanted to be an inventor and then

a pilot when I was younger, I even inherited my colour blindness from

him. I grieve the opportunity to learn from his younger self. Luckily

he made a full recovery but the way my family dropped everything to

support him and each other through this time was very beautiful.

Although the collection was inspired by Grandad’s life and craft it is

just as much about the support and compassion shown by my family in

this time. The collection explores vulnerability in inter family relations

whether that be Grandfather to Grandson, father to daughter or mother

to son.

The collection references workwear from my Grandad’s welding back-

ground to signify his life but also references the imagery seen in the

work of Kathe Kollwitz and Pina Bausch. Both of which have themes of

grief and human support within their work.