ARTIST'S SPOTLIGHT - hugo cahill

The most beautiful thing about connections is how they often happen naturally—sometimes even inadvertently—and independent of time.

A couple of months ago, I began chatting with Hugo after discovering and sharing his unique and precious work. We instantly found common ground: he splits his time between Portugal and England, and speaks Portuguese. I'm from Brazil, but my mother and maternal grandparents are from Lisbon, so speaking my mother tongue always feels like home. Even though we switch between Portuguese and English, our conversations flow effortlessly.

I've been sharing the work of artists for nearly five years now, and I’m proud to say I’ve built strong relationships with many of them. But every so often, one just clicks—even if the connection is recent.

Hugo not only has impeccable taste, but he’s also kind, generous with his time, and even extended a lunch invitation for whenever I visit Lisbon (a very tempting reason to go!). In a world that often feels chaotic, it’s refreshing—and grounding—to connect with someone who brings a smile to my face, shares a love for jewelry, and truly appreciates art.

It’s both an honor and a joy to share a bit of his story today, along with some of his stunning rings.

HUGO CAHILL

My jewelry journey began early, influenced by my father, a skilled hand engraver, and my uncle, a goldsmith. My grandfather was also a goldsmith, which impacted my grandmother's visual culture and approach to educating her children and social circle. She made it a priority to get her boys into apprenticeships within the field. Although I never met my grandfather, it is easy to pinpoint what pushed me towards jewelry. Fast forward to 2012, I embarked on a transformative journey to London to refine my craft. After years of working with prestigious jewelry brands in costume and fine jewelry, I realized my dream in 2020 by founding my own fine jewelry company alongside my spouse, a talented business leader and art collector.

To me, jewelry bridges worlds—melding history with innovation, materiality with abstraction, and craftsmanship with storytelling. It has always been a search for meaning—a way to translate the weight of memory into something of extraordinary beauty and challenging to attain. My references are broadly artistic yet deeply personal: from the chiaroscuro of Baroque painting to ancient structures, from the celebration of celestial phenomena to the geometry of modernist design and architecture. I am drawn to contrasts—fluidity versus structure, brilliance against shadow.

My work is deeply rooted in this philosophy of contrast and subversion.

Whether through the interplay of high-polish gold with oxidized alloys, the inversion of traditional gemstone settings, or the deconstruction of classic shapes. I aim to create pieces that feel like artefacts from a civilization that never existed—lost fragments of a grander story.

I am currently developing Collection 3, a high-jewelry series that explores the contrasts of fluidity versus geometry, transparency versus solidity, and asymmetry as a form of balance. This collection pushes the boundaries of classical jewelry techniques while embracing an otherworldly aesthetic, combining elements of the ancient and the futuristic.

Additionally, I plan to revisit my library of shapes and create variations of some past creations. Making these variations allows me to establish a unique relationship with my pieces. I often explore many options throughout my creative process but ultimately focus on one distinct alternative. A fundamental aspect of my process is ethically sourcing gems, and I am now also interested in promoting fair labor practices within lapidary work. This commitment guides my creativity and gives me the freedom to bring new variations of my jewelry to life.

At the heart of my creations is the desire to craft jewelry that resonates beyond the material—a testament to both the seen and the unseen, the ephemeral and the eternal.

to see more of hugo's work click here: https://www.hugocahill.com/