Eva Baldi
Shawville August 6, 2021
Local artist Brian Hudson put his art on display at Café 349 last Friday.
Hudson explained that art has played a major role throughout his life. As a child he would flip through the pages of his family’s Encyclopaedia Britannica, rushing to the section on art.
“I have always loved art,” said Hudson.
His father was an amateur artist, working by day but painting in the early hours of the morning and late at night. Hudson would marvel at the changes made to the work each day
“I was amazed at the different transformations from beginning to end,” he explained.
Originally form Quebec city, Hudson moved to the Ottawa valley to go to the University of Ottawa. Obtaining his degree in English Literature, Hudson made the Ottawa Valley his home for 40 years. In 2009, he moved to Singapore and lived there until 2019, travelling extensively throughout Asia and Europe.
During his time in Singapore, Hudson noticed that some low-income workers were often overlooked or generally ignored by the public. They often worked jobs to bring money home to their families, many of them living alongside three or four generations in one home. Hudson decided to paint these people in a series of portraits called “unseen faces.” Later he would gift them with a quality reproduction of their portraits.
“I felt I wanted to honour them by painting their portraits,” said Hudson. Some of the original paintings from this series are now on display in Café 349.
The exhibit features abstract, portraits and representational art, and was curated to represent many of Hudson’s findings and experiences during his travels.
Hudson currently lives in Isle aux Allumettes with his son. More information can be found on HudsonArtist.com.
