Hannah Wilson (b.1995, Milton Keynes), is an artist living and working in Glasgow. In Wilson’s oil paintings of film-stills, figures take up space on the canvas through an often uncomfortable method of cropping. Leaving information out of frame, small details come to the forefront so what remains holds weight. These moments are animated and hint at rich worlds beyond an initial reading - using paint as a way to capture sensation, both in the physical rendering of the material and the potential for an image to stir deep-seated emotions in the viewer. Wilson’s most recent works are interested in portraying monolithic male characters, leaning into the interplay of stoic weight and awkward vulnerability through careful composition and thick application of paint. Hannah earned a BA (Hons) in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, London (2016) and an MFA at the Glasgow School of Art (2022). This year they have hosted their solo-exhibition Number One Fan with Steve Turner, Los Angeles, and will have their second solo-exhibition Never Cursed with Moosey in Norwich this November. They have had solo exhibitions at Bim Bam, Paris (2023); Grove Gallery, London (2023) and Moosey, Norwich (2021).
Never Cursed is a show about persevering. I had optimism in my mind when making the show, trying keep going despite a deep rooted feeling of failure - in other words, feeling cursed. Failure is not a new concept in my work, but this is the first time I have challenged it directly. I wanted all the paintings to have a bit more of an eerie quality compared to previous works, as curses have a somewhat paranormal quality. Colours are less straightforward and more washed out, I wanted to colours to reflect the feeling of hovering in the in-between. Figures in the works do not meet the eyes of the viewer, but are stoic in the frame, reaching out beyond the limits of the edge of the canvas. It’s a show about keeping going, hoping for the best when it feels like the odds are stacked against you.
Opens Thursday 7th November 2024 6-8pm
