Hugh Byrne | Nuisance Dust

Hugh Byrne found the title Nuisance Dust on the side of a box of soft pastels — a throwaway warning that stuck, and eventually came to describe an exhibition shaped by dust, smudges, scraps and the evidence of work in progress.

EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town

Byrne builds his paintings through a process of adding, removing and reconsidering. Pigment, graphite and paint are layered onto the surface, then scraped or rubbed back, leaving earlier decisions visible underneath. The finished work carries something of the route taken to get there.

That openness extends to the studio itself. Tools, leftover materials and fragments from previous works can become part of a new piece, while seams, staples and stretcher bars are sometimes left exposed. The result is work that can sit somewhere between painting, assemblage and sculpture.

“Nuisance dust” suggests something disposable, but Byrne is interested in precisely what might usually be brushed aside. Smudges, erasures and fragments are not mistakes to be hidden; they become part of the work’s structure and history.

Colour remains central to his practice, but his approach has become looser over time. Earlier paintings often separated colour into more clearly defined areas; Nuisance Dust allows those boundaries to break down, with accident and control sitting visibly alongside one another.

About the Artist

Hugh Byrne (b. 1983) is a Cape Town-based non-figurative artist whose practice moves between painting, assemblage and sculptural forms. He graduated with honours in Fine Arts from the University of Pretoria and has exhibited widely in South Africa and internationally. His recent presentations include The Armory Show in New York, EXPO Chicago and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair.

Images courtesy of EBONY/CURATED and Hugh Byrne.

Exhibition Details

Exhibition
Nuisance Dust

Artist
Hugh Byrne

Exhibition Dates
7 October – 14 November 2026

Opening Reception
Wednesday, 7 October 2026 at 18:00

Location
EBONY/CURATED
67 Loop Street
Cape Town