Details:
① Artwork:
Even the moon needs to hide away sometimes
This painting depicts a woman’s face that is simultaneously visible on one side and slipping into shadow on the other—like a moon waxing and waning. The title is borrowed from a chapter in Sarah Faith Gottesdiener’s The Moon Book, titled “The Dark Moon: Transformation in the Void.” For this composition, the artist draws inspiration from historical moon magic, self-care rituals, intersectional feminist theory and social justice practices. Ward's latest Black femme protagonist, full of wisdom and deep knowledge, possesses piercing eyes that emerge from a swirling green background.
Ward weaves together motives, moods and narratives for each of her works—often beginning with a flicker of a gesture or the ambiance created by a single color. Exploring themes of identity, introspection and transformation, the artist's works depict protagonists whose wisdom and knowledge reflect both lived experience and ancestral inheritance.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Hana Ward makes paintings and ceramic sculptures that explore themes of identity, introspection and transformation. The artist is heavily influenced by post-colonial theory, histories and fiction—as well as the canon of white art history and its wide-reaching effects on minorities. Appearing both ethereal and altogether visceral, Ward’s Black feminine figures possess a compelling yet ambiguous presence—sometimes sheltered in the solitude of domestic space and other times liberated into landscapes.
Hana Ward was born in Los Angeles, California in 1989. The artist received a BA from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 2011.
Exhibitions of Ward’s work have taken place at: OCHI in Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Gallery in Maspeth, Queens; Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions in Los Angeles, California; Harun Gallery in Leimert Park, California; Beyond Baroque in Venice, California; and Giant Robot in Oakland, California.
In 2017, Ward was awarded a Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist-in-Residence Grant.
Ward’s work has been featured in various publications, including: Artforum, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Financial Times, Amadeus, Artillery Magazine, and AUTRE.
Ward's work was featured in the Voices on Art Podcast in conjunction with Independent Art Fair.
Ward is represented by OCHI in Los Angeles, California and Sun Valley, Idaho.
Ward currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California.