Looking back, I feel immense appreciation for the tenacity, artistic drive, and quiet passion that have been passed down through generations of my family.

My father, Hugo David François Naudé, often spoke with deep gratitude about his uncle, Hugo Naudé, the artist. Born in Worcester in 1905 and educated locally, my father was taken under his uncle’s wing at an early age. It was Hugo the artist who taught him to draw and paint, nurturing both his technical skills and his creative confidence. Recognising my father’s talent and determination, he later sponsored him to further his studies in Liverpool—where he was even granted advanced standing. Throughout those years, my great-uncle remained a constant intellectual guide, offering steady advice and imaginative encouragement that helped shape my father into the prominent architect he became in Cape Town.

Hugo the artist spent countless patient hours teaching my father the subtleties of watercolour. In turn, my father passed those lessons on to me: how to mix pigments properly, how to hold a brush, and how to master the “colour drop-out” technique—when water or wetter paint meets a semi-dry wash and the pigment is gently pushed aside. These small technical moments became a kind of family inheritance, shared quietly from one generation to the next.

My father was always astonished by my drawing abilities, and it was his encouragement that guided me toward architecture. He urged me to pursue my passions seriously, and it was at his insistence that I applied to continue my studies in London after completing my architecture degree in Cape Town.

This lineage of creativity—of thoughtful mentorship, artistic curiosity, and support—forms the backdrop to my understanding of Hugo Naudé’s life and work. It is not only a family story, but also a testament to the way art can shape lives across generations.

    – Adèle Santos Naudé