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.
