Hugo Mercury

The French photographer who takes us back in time with his third eye.

Born in Bordeaux, France, Hugo has been immersed in the world of the photography since childhood. Hugo’s parents let him browse the pages of National Geographic and Geo Magazine and his attraction for travelling grew quickly along with the adventures that would await him

At 13, Hugo joined his school’s photography club to explore the process of Stenope, and, later, seeing his growing obsession with photography, his grandmother Marguerite gifted him a collection of Magnum Photos magazine which deeply inspired him, kickstarting a passion that would lead her to secretly present his work to a professional photographer. A meeting will be organized the coming days and this would become a pivotal moment in his career, Hugo was almost 16 years old then.

Following the advice of the profesional photographer, supported by his mother Helene and others teachers Hugo decided to leave his studies at that moment. Three month later he showed up in a photography’s school, where he was accepted as the sixteenth student of a pool of only 15 places. Hugo completed 4 years of photography studies, spent 2 years in a nationally recognised publicity and fashion studio, laid on some exhibitions, events and disappear from the world of photography.

In need of an inspirational "break", he moved away from the frenzy of industry and big cities for a while to connect with nature and extreme sports thus combining his love for the sea and the mountains. Travelling the world as a backpacker, concerning himself only with living in the present moment, rarely taking out his camera.

The reappearance of HM. (Asigns his captures) in the photographic scene, occurs several years later in Mallorca. The realisation of an exhibition on New York surrounded only by his closest friends, marked a big return.

Like an old school photographer, Hugo works mostly with analog cameras from the 50/60’s and captures moments that look like paintings or from another era.

Europe, Australia, New Caledonia, South America, Asia, Los Angeles and now New York, where he will move this year, Hugo’s eye returns to enjoy and this is seen through his pictures. Before taking his camera out, he immerses himself in the energy where he is and then start to shape his unique vision of the world.

As he says, “coming back from a trip is not coming back with a report but with adventures to tell”, and his photos are the best way to do it. By watching his work and telling us these stories, Hugo takes us with him, as if we were at his side at the precise moment he took the picture, offering us a totally new perspective full of contexts and nuances that literally transport you into his own adventure.