Hugh Hayden considers the anthropomorphisation of the natural world as a visceral lens for exploring the human condition. Transforming familiar objects through a process of selecting, carving and juxtaposing, he challenges our perceptions of ourselves, others and the environment. Raised in Texas and trained as an architect, Hayden feels a deep connection to nature and its organic materials. He therefore utilises wood as his primary medium, including objects as varied as discarded trunks, rare indigenous timbers, Christmas trees and souvenir African sculptures. From these materials, which are frequently loaded with multilayered histories, the artist saws, sculpts and sands white sculptures, often combining disparate species of wood to create new composite forms that also reflect the medium’s complex cultural background. Crafting metaphors for human existence and past experiences, Hayden’s work questions the stasis of social dynamics and asks the viewer to examine their place within an ever-shifting ecosystem.