Hannah Gress

My work is a walk through the female experience, and straddles the

line between uncomfortable intimacy and the comfortable beauty. It
expresses the relationship that grows between self, and the relationship
that blooms between others. I use figurative sculptures to depict different
snapshots of personal journeys that a female goes through, from being
sexualized from an early age, to the expectation of being the ideal woman.
Clay allows for each story to take shape visually through representational
and abstracted depictions of the body. For example, the abstraction of the
body to incorporate plant or sea life is used to create both a sense of time
and imply the cyclical loop that mental health plays on the body. My
inspiration and drive to make work is about creating an outlet for my
thoughts and feelings regarding the all consuming need to be perfect so
others deem us worthy of time and attention. Thus I create work that
facilitates a safe space for people to accept things that they might not feel
comfortable sharing, or maybe scared to share because of their need to fit
into the standards that are culturally set. With the rise of social media,
especially the rise of pictures and Instagram, your lifestyle and how you
present yourself becomes next to godliness, and without the ‘right’ image
people won’t deem you good enough. Those who don’t fit, or who are
different, are forced to create ‘fake’ personas, leading to isolation and
loneliness. Artists who inspire me are Jessica Cioffi’s narrative scenes and
sense of uncomfortable beauty, Lou Li Rong’s impossible stopped motion
figurative sculptures, and the wonderful man-made take on natural textures
from Lori Phillips. Each has elements to their art and style that are wholly
unique and speak to my own ideas and what I have to say. Though styles
change, the desire for the perfect or ideal does not. Being constantly
reminded of how we do or do not fit a particular standard, it is hard not to
compare your journey to others, but my art will continue to create a safe
space for others to express their true selves and accept what makes them
different.