Hello,
My name is Hannah Kang, and I'm a sophmore at Stanford University. I like to spend one on one time with my friends, read psychology books, or go to art museum/ galleries. My go-to museums are The Geffen, Hauser and Wirth, LACMA, MMCA, MOCA, and The Broad. My favorite movies include Paprika, Waking Life, Everything Everywhere all at Once, Princess Kaguya, Forest Gump, and Akira.
What does it mean to be an Artist?
Art has always made me a sensitive person, making me more observant of my surroundings and the subtly changing nuances in everyday life: everything from a replaced button on a friend’s cardigan to certain gestures people make that reveal their inner thoughts. I have been utilizing those observations to constantly question my surroundings. With a deep introspection inspired by my art, I learned how I am unconsciously impacted by societal factors and became the destroyer of my negative mindsets as well as a creator for my constructive mindsets. Practicing art has helped me break from my negative boundaries so that I can be free in my choices and expression.
My ultimate goal as an artist is to be responsive to the changing needs of our world. To do that, I cannot limit myself to conventional fine arts. I’ve already begun exploring both filmmaking and computer science to widen my ability to communicate with and influence the world. Continuing my studies in fine arts will allow me to keep my fingers on the pulse of our wider world, able to respond to our constantly changing societal needs. At the same time, being up to date on technology will make me as well-equipped as possible to respond to those needs as effectively and efficiently as possible. I want to keep exploring the myriad of combinative ways art and technology crossovers to create visually impactful artworks advocating for social justice so that I can inspire viewers to similarly impact their respective environments.
How did you get started in handcrafted visual arts? What was it about that experience that was impactful?
My involvement in my mother’s staging company began by creating custom art that fit the design needs of each house she staged. My mother would describe her concept for the house, including color scheme and textures, and the effect she hoped the piece would have, and I would create the painting she needed.
In sophomore year, to aid my mother further, I began assisting her to worksites. I learned everything from how to use power tools to how to create a fake bed using plastic boxes. But most importantly, I learned what it really takes to be a designer. Being a designer requires tremendous resourcefulness, creativity, and flexibility, qualities that my mom has always been practicing in her work. For example, she has been considering the pre-existing furniture, the neighborhood, and what potential buyers would be looking for, only to name a few.
Over the past years, my driven passion to become a designer only grew bigger. Whether I am designing a custom painting or orchestrating the layout of interior space, I must understand the overarching concept of the entire house, ensuring that everything within fits into a cohesive design and the unique needs of each room, customizing its form to not only fit but enhance its function. This understanding has allowed me to discover my most treasured skill: the ability to identify a need and to produce a creative solution that fulfills that need. This skill passed down to me from my mother is one I will cultivate as an aspiring artist.
Beyond Mixed Media, are you involved in other aspects of your art form?
Creating fine art requires close attention and sustained focus that, once achieved, fills me with a powerful sense of calm. And once I discover the most effective way to convey my message, I am struck by a thrilling satisfaction. This intense sensitivity to detail in the pursuit of a creative solution makes me lose all track of time. As I began expanding my artistic boundaries, I’ve found that this characteristic of fine art can be found even when experimenting with unconventional art forms.
One example is filmmaking. While I had always admired the art of filmmaking, I had been intimidated by its technical intricacies. But I finally overcame my fear and began teaching myself Adobe Premiere to create my very first stop motion video. The film, called “Stray 2021”, involved multiple techniques I had to learn from scratch and took over 70 hours to complete. I was drawn in by the peace of being hyper-sensitive to every element of my craft and pursuing the final, satisfying moment when my self-expression would be realized. Despite the back pain caused by endlessly bending over tiny objects, making minute changes to create the illusion of movement through hundreds of stills, then spending a month editing the images, the completion of the film was bittersweet as I was sad that the process was over.
Overall, my exploration of filmmaking has shown me that I have a passion for using my heightened sensitivity to details to take on complex and creatively challenging projects. No matter what career path I take, my sharpened perception will be the driving force behind my success, maintaining my focus on my goals while also keeping me in tune with the people, trends, resources, and solutions around me.