HANNAH THEISS
In partnership with Blackfish Gallery, guest artist Hannah Theiss presents Aphelion at J. Pepin Art Gallery. Aphelion marks the genesis of Theiss’s artistic exploration of mental health–navigating darkness and the reassembly of self and serves as the foundation for her subsequent body of work, Qualia, which is on exhibit in tandem with this show at Blackfish Gallery. This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to experience Aphelion, the foundation of Qualia, and to follow the evolution of Theiss’s artistic journey.
In Hannah Theiss's debut solo exhibition, Aphelion, Hannah explores the psychological journey of rediscovery, as she confronts the fragmented essence crafted over a lifetime for safety and acceptance. The title, drawn from the astronomical term for the farthest point in an orbit, symbolizes a profound realization and shift—a reckoning and acceptance on the path to reclaiming a once-abandoned self. Through exploration of distortion, texture, layering, and by playing with perception, these elegant, inventive pieces capture the physical sensations of trauma and dissociation. They invite you to witness and experience the raw unfolding of emotions and the intricate process of reassembly.
In Hannah Theiss's debut solo exhibition, Aphelion, Hannah explores the psychological journey of rediscovery, as she confronts the fragmented essence crafted over a lifetime for safety and acceptance. The title, drawn from the astronomical term for the farthest point in an orbit, symbolizes a profound realization and shift—a reckoning and acceptance on the path to reclaiming a once-abandoned self. Through exploration of distortion, texture, layering, and by playing with perception, these elegant, inventive pieces capture the physical sensations of trauma and dissociation. They invite you to witness and experience the raw unfolding of emotions and the intricate process of reassembly.
IN THE ARTIST'S WORDS
My art practice is formed around the collaborative dance between humanity and the natural world we so briefly inhabit. I find inspiration in the patterns and markings of time found in shell ridges, tree rings, and sedimentary layers below our feet, each depicting a unique and never-replicable story.
My process allows for the natural world to leave its fingerprints next to my own: encouraging ink to run and dry as it pleases; allowing material to tear without controlling its path; capturing the shadow of netting moving in the breeze in a cyanotype. I often take a back seat to what emerges, responding with my own structure, arrangement, or interpretation. My work seeks to highlight the undeniable importance—and impact—of our human presence as a part of our collective story.
Although my initial artistic focus was in printmaking, I have since grown to explore many other disciplines, seeking not to become an expert in any one, but to instead study and refine a breadth of techniques and processes to inform my work. I take pride in my experimentation, never letting rules or what’s traditionally expected to determine my process. I employ formal disciplines, including printmaking, painting, and drawing, alongside undefined experimentations with glue, ink, graphite, paper, and collage. My work combines my own abstractions with referential natural textures, sometimes affecting them with ripping, cutting, and collage, amplifying the story of each material and texture into a larger, collective story.
My process allows for the natural world to leave its fingerprints next to my own: encouraging ink to run and dry as it pleases; allowing material to tear without controlling its path; capturing the shadow of netting moving in the breeze in a cyanotype. I often take a back seat to what emerges, responding with my own structure, arrangement, or interpretation. My work seeks to highlight the undeniable importance—and impact—of our human presence as a part of our collective story.
Although my initial artistic focus was in printmaking, I have since grown to explore many other disciplines, seeking not to become an expert in any one, but to instead study and refine a breadth of techniques and processes to inform my work. I take pride in my experimentation, never letting rules or what’s traditionally expected to determine my process. I employ formal disciplines, including printmaking, painting, and drawing, alongside undefined experimentations with glue, ink, graphite, paper, and collage. My work combines my own abstractions with referential natural textures, sometimes affecting them with ripping, cutting, and collage, amplifying the story of each material and texture into a larger, collective story.
ABOUT HANNAH
Hannah was born and raised in Michigan. She was always drawn to creative outlets including drawing, painting, and even digital art. She graduated college and pursued a career in graphic design full time. She moved to Portland, Oregon in 2011, and instantly fell in love with the city and the Pacific Northwest have to offer. Beginning in 2017, she decided to shift her focus away from commercial design to start an art practice. She currently reside and have a studio in St. Johns.
Artist's Website: https://hannah-prints.com/
Artist's Website: https://hannah-prints.com/