Nick Huck

Born in Lancashire and largely without any formal training as an artist, Huck has spent years independently studying the theory and principles of visual art as well as learning techniques and practices from others. This freedom from outside direction has not only allowed him to gradually develop his own style of expression through trial and error, it has also enabled him to readily adopt established methods from other more experienced practitioners.

In terms of style, Huck draws from a fusion of figurative realism, symbolism and surrealism; favouring oil paints and relatively traditional painting techniques but choosing to work predominantly with transparent plastics rather than canvas or wood.

The purpose behind Huck’s work is to explore the human perception of reality. Within this broad brief Huck focuses on the human experiences of isolation, anxieties and the occasionally duplicitous nature of how we see the world around us, drawing from and inspired by his own experiences.

As part of this, Huck is also fascinated with exploring how the viewer can be challenged in how they perceive a painting itself, rather than just the subject. By often painting multiple versions of pieces on semi-transparent Perspex sheets and mounting them in layers to form one image, Huck endeavors to create work that is both beautiful and jarring to view.

Fascinated by the idea that individuals can experience the same reality in different emotional, intellectual and sensory ways, Huck has ensured many pieces can never be perceived in their entirety by limiting how much of the work can be absorbed. While all the elements of these pieces are painted in perfect clarity, the combination of layers and materials can blur and distort some features beyond comprehension, causing them to move and twist as the viewer’s vantage changes.

Huck’s work has been shown at exhibitions and art fairs all around the UK, including an appearance at the Manchester Art Fair in 2019, and is included in a number of private collections.