Art. Emotion. Contrast. And Everything In Between.

BY METROSOCIETY

  • August 6, 2025
  • 1,933

HUGO BRUN was born and raised in Paris, France, but his heart has long been deeply connected to Asian culture. This passion led him to leave his life in Paris behind and begin a new chapter in Hong Kong in 2018 — a move that became a defining turning point in his life.

 

Through a mix of opportunity and determination, he joined a creative agency, where he coordinated and designed flagship stores for several world-renowned luxury brands. This experience sparked his interest in interior design and furniture making.

 

In 2019, Hugo founded his own contemporary furniture company as a platform to express his boundless artistic vision. He immersed himself in studying production techniques, exploring the unique qualities of different materials, and building a network with local workshops across various countries in Asia.

 

By 2021, Hugo relocated to Koh Samui, surrounded by lush tropical nature, and began working on the interior design of the island’s growing number of modern villas. The raw beauty of Koh Samui’s landscapes, combined with the vibrant street art scene in Bangkok, inspired him to create his own contemporary artworks. His style embraces vivid colors, bold geometric forms, and playful contrasts — nature versus city, ancient versus modern, perfection versus fracture.

 

1. Have you ever deliberately made your work “hard to understand”?

 

Hugo: No, I haven’t. I never think about people’s reactions to my art when I create. I have an idea and suddenly feel the urge to materialise it. There’s a quote I like that says, “To create is to take the risk to be misunderstood.” I want to trigger emotions, I want people to stop and stare at my work, not to be understood.

 


2. Do you create more with emotion or with logic?

Hugo: Definitely emotion. To me, the creative process is like connecting dots. There are things I find aesthetically pleasing, and I decide to merge them together. I like playing with contrasts, I love bright colors — I think the world needs it. I sometimes explain my work with logic afterwards when people ask me, but there’s no logic at the beginning.

 




3. 
If someone completely misinterprets your work, how does that make you feel?

Hugo: It makes me happy. Raising questions and letting people make their meaning is already a success for me. I don’t attach much importance to “the meaning.” I just want people to be drawn to it and interpret it in their own way.

 


4. Has your art ever changed someone’s life, including your own?

Hugo: I don’t know, probably not yet. But for me, yes. It changed my perspective on work. When you truly enjoy what you do, you enjoy the process more than the outcome. I’ve even turned down social invites just to stay in and create something that was completely new to me.

 


 

 

5. You design furniture and create art — are they different languages or just one voice in your head?

Hugo: They’re different voices and languages, but the first one is always led by emotion and personal feelings. Then comes the rational voice to make it happen. I always have 20 ideas in my head, and deciding which one to focus on is another voice entirely.

 


 

6. What is it about Asian culture that the West still doesn’t fully grasp?

Hugo: I think the West sees Asia as very tied to traditions and old values, which is true, but they overlook how modern and innovative it is. I feel it’s easier to be young and entrepreneurial in Asia right now. There are more opportunities, and people are more open to new ideas. I think we have a lot to learn from that.

 

 

Hugo believes that contemporary art should invite the audience to interpret freely — sparking questions, stirring emotions, or even “disturbing” the eye in a creative way.

“If someone says, ‘I don’t understand art,’ that’s when the art has worked,” Hugo says.

Today, he continues to travel to international art hubs such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, and beyond, presenting his work to collectors and clients around the world.

 

 

HUGO BRUN

Contemporary Art & Furniture exhibition

18 July - 17 October 2025

River City (2nd floor), Bangkok