Aaron Hughes is an artist, curator, and anti-war veteran whose work explores the impact of war, violence, and trauma on individuals and communities. In this lecture, Hughes will share images and stories from his projects, which draw from his own military experience and long-standing activism. Through printmaking, installation, and collaboration, Hughes honors the legacy of anti-war veteran movements and imagines new paths toward justice and healing. His work often uses everyday materials, like military uniforms and protest banners, to challenge militarism and support collective healing. The event will explore how art can help us understand complex histories, connect with others, and take action for a better world. Hughes's work encourages reflection on the cost of war and the power of community, dialogue, and creative resistance

Aaron Hughes is an artist, curator, and anti-war veteran. Working through an interdisciplinary practice rooted in drawing and printmaking, he works collaboratively to develop projects that create meaning out of personal and collective trauma, transform the materials and habits of state violence, and imagine liberation in defiance of militarized norms. Often, these projects utilize popular research strategies, experiment with forms of direct democracy, and operate in solidarity with the people most impacted by structural violence. Currently, Hughes' work focuses on researching the relationship between political violence, authoritarianism, and trauma in contrast to the cultural production surrounding political participation, direct democracy, and meaning making. Hughes has presented work internationally at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Maruki Gallery in Tokyo, and Ashkal Alwan in Beirut.