Hana lives and works in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her paintings have been included in prominent exhibitions like The Royal Ulster Academy. She studied BA Theatre and Screen at Wimbledon College of Art, University of the Arts London.
PAINTER,
ARTIST
I explore the intersection of memory, performance and constructed realities through staged figurative paintings. I work predominantly in oil paint, my mediums include paper, card, canvas and wood. I am obsessive about organising and rearranging. As part of my practice I use collage to construct compositions that blend remembered experiences with imagined narratives. Painting allows me to offload thoughts into physical space and make sense of unresolved emotions.
The work explores the tension between real and fake, public and private, and how we perform within different contexts. I am drawn to the behind-the-scenes aspects of human behaviour, what is hidden and what is revealed. I want the audience to feel a false sense of security when they look at my work, drawn in by structure and familiarity, only to sense the instability beneath.
My paintings are rooted in the real but skew toward the surreal and dystopian. I reflect on the inconsistencies of memory and how information becomes distorted as it is passed between people. The paintings often depict groups of figures that merge into a singular entity, unified by colour and gesture, blurring the line between the individual and the collective.
Exhibitions
Solo
2024 ‘Proceed as Normal’, Roe Valley Arts Centre, Limavady
2022 ‘Walk in the Sun’, The Black Box, Belfast
Group
2025 ‘Works on Paper 7’, Blue Shop Galleries, London
2024 ‘The Way of All Flesh’, Saatchi Gallery, London, Curated by Delphian Gallery
2023 ‘It’s All Your Vault’, Vault Artist Studios, Marlborough House, Belfast
2022 ‘Signature Art Prize’, Bankside Hotel, London
‘Contemporary Painting’, The Brick Lane Gallery, London
2021 ‘Babushka’, Portrush - Collaborative Project
‘Winter Open’, The Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Ireland
‘Royal Ulster Academy 139th Annual Exhibition’, Ulster Museum, Belfast
2020 ‘Falling Facades’ Framewerk Gallery, Belfast East Side Arts Festival
‘Affordable Art Exhibition’ Thought Foundation Gallery, Durham online
2019 ‘Sparks; Collaborations from Inside Vault’, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast
Awards
2025 D/deaf and Disabled Artists Support Fund, University of Atypical
2023 Short Mentoring Scheme, Jerwood Arts, Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA) Derry
2022 ACNI Support for the Individual Artist Programme
2021 ACNI Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme
Signature Art Prize Shortlisted
2020 ACNI Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme
The John Richardson Award, RUA, Hambly & Hambly
Freelands Foundation Emergency Funding
Bridgman Studio Award Shortlisted