Hugh Walton was born in Paris, France in 1972. He grew up in New York City where he currently lives and works. He graduated from Blair Academy in 1991, received a BFA in sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1995 and an MFA in Sculpture at Hunter College in 2006. He has participated in a number of group shows and had his New York solo debut at Clementine Gallery in 2007. He is currently working within the Hunter College Department of Art & Art History as Administrative Coordinator and Adjunct Professor.
In recent years Hugh Walton's work has addressed the subjects of education, learning disabilities, bulimia, obsessive-compulsive disorders and other dysfunctional behaviors. These works are intended to liberate Walton and others from the inherent feelings of isolation and shame connected with such behaviors. By producing works that allow the viewer a space for identification and self-reflection, he hopes to stimulate healing and raise issues about conventional education and other related societal problems.
Most recently Walton has created a series of high-definition single and multi-channel videos that aim to explore his experience struggling to learn and communicate within the educational system. He has worked with an array of materials, ranging from Alphabet Soup to urine. Within these videos Walton creates and destroys language in order to challenge the viewers' ability to read and comprehend the words they see in front of them. While some videos are silent or contain minimal sound, others contain rhythmical sound tracks that draw the viewer into the work.