Artist Statement:
The assemblage art contains photography mounted on canvas as well as sketches with oil pastel (or crushed glass) and written text in ink. I take my camera with me almost everywhere I go as my photography captures everyday sensory experiences. Much like a journal, the photographs identify and crop subject matter which I find has poetic and philosophical purpose in regard to contemporary identity. After the photography becomes mounted on the canvas, I write texts with ink on the canvas with poetic passages which ambiguously describe the subject. Upon the remaining surface, loose sketches are made with oil pastel which helps deconstruct the physical aspects of the subject. The entire process, from capturing the subject, to deconstruction with a sketch, to philosophical scribing, entails a method steeped in a heightened sense of individualism in regard to image-making. My photography contains no Photoshop alteration and without any other digital enhancement in order to provide a documentary experience of a raw image.
During the process of capturing selective imagery from my daily life, experiences, and travel with photography, I build upon the image by fusing the photographs with integrative oil pastel drawings or crushed glass which establish new angles, perspectives, texture, and surfaces in which to engage the subject matter. The combinative and organic work becomes defined by process as even the written texts become open to individual interpretation by the viewer. As a writer and publisher, the written word has important symbolic significance to my identity. The writing first becomes dictated through improvisation and scribbled onto the canvas, smeared with gesso, and then rewritten on top with an edited version. By fusing written text with image-making, I create a conscious interpretation of my artistic methods in real-time. Besides the literal attributions, the works are also metaphorical assemblages because they integrate three forms of art containing photography, drawing, and creative writing into one cohesive work of art. Combining the intense power of realism with photography, the interpretative energy of the written word and expressive drawing, the assemblage constructs a bridge through the deconstruction of observable subject matter into forms of new visual and improvised consumption.
Biography:
Michael Athanasius Hanna (born 1983) is an assemblage artist, writer, photographer, filmmaker, and publisher originally from Jersey City, New Jersey who has been creating art since the age of eight. He has exhibited in the United States and Europe as well as been featured at large exhibition spaces such as The Colonnade: performing arts theatre in Ringgold, Georgia, the Victoria Gallery in Paterson, New Jersey, and the Atrium Gallery in Morristown, New Jersey. Notable shows in New York include a solo exhibit in Chelsea at the Wix Gallery and a one year exhibit at Hogarth Worldwide on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Other noteworthy exhibitions include Space - Millepiani in Rome and the Artists' Guild in St. Louis, both include published catalogues. Additionally, he has regular solo exhibitions at The Colonnade: performing arts theatre twice a year in the winter and summer. Michael has been published by The London Group, Saatchi Art, the New York Times, Hartford Courant, Daily Record, and the Jersey Journal. He works out of his art studio located in North Georgia and has been serving as the curator and editor of Aedra Fine Arts Publishing since 2014.
As a writer and publisher, Michael has been consistently complimented on his detailed yet direct approach to art writing, largely devoid of plastic language. Such a style of critical analysis has been covered in two publications under AFA Publishing: The Artist Feature Catalogue and Titan Contemporary Journal. The catalogue features curatorial essays on established artists from around the world while the journal focuses on contemporary art discourse and philosophy. Michael’s purpose as a publisher remains to provide critical commentary and content on the newest contemporary art available by publishing on multiple formats including on the AFA website, Substack, and in linen wrap hardcover book editions.
Curriculum Vitae
Publications:
The London Group. Newsletter. An article posting my critical essay about Chris Horner. 5/7/2025.
LoosenArt. A Scientific Approach. Published in print catalogue and online. 6/25/2025.
Saatchi Art. New This Week. 7/29/2024.
Saatchi Art. New This Week. 2/19/2024.
Ypilson Art. Interview with Polish nonprofit arts organization. 2023.
New York Times - Atrium solo exhibit listed. 12/27/2014.
Hartford Courant - Artsmart blog. 2/2015.
Daily Record - Atrium solo exhibit news article. 9/19/2014.
Jersey Journal / NJ.com - Curatorial. 3/3/2015.
Jersey Journal / NJ.com - Curatorial. 8/13/2014.
ArtPrideNJ.com - Artist of the month. April 2014.
Solo Exhibitions:
Greenpoint Gallery. Enchanted Tide. New York, NY. 2025
The Colonnade: Performing Arts Theatre. The Abyss Stares Back. Ringgold, Georgia. 2025.
The Colonnade: Performing Arts Theatre. New Life. Ringgold, Georgia. 2025.
The Colonnade: Performing Arts Theatre. Interior Paintings. Ringgold, Georgia. 2024.
Wix Lounge Gallery : Enchanted Physics. Chelsea, Manhattan. New York, NY. 2016.
Victoria Gallery at Art Factory. Art Walk. Paterson, New Jersey 2015.
The Barrow Mansion. Power of Paper: Digital & Drawings. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2015.
Town Hall of Hanover. Linear Metamorphosis. Whippany, New Jersey. 2015.
Trolley Car. Sobering Linearity. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2015.
Atrium Gallery. Arts Council of Morristown, New Jersey. 2014 - 2015.
Noah Webster Gallery. Industrial Planes. West Hartford, Connecticut. 2014-2015.
Silk Gallery at the Art Factory. Building Bridges. Paterson, New Jersey. 2014.
Exhibitions:
Space - Millepiani (curated by LoosenArt). A Scientific Approach. Rome, Italy. 2025.
St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Between the Lines. St. Louis, Missouri. 2025.
Alpharetta Arts Center. Order and Chaos. Alpharetta, Georgia. 2025.
Corgi Clay Art Center. Go Figure! Stafford, Virginia. 2024.
South Cobb Arts Alliance. 2024 Member Exhibit.. Kennesaw, Georgia. 2024.
Medford Arts Center. Just Faces. Medford, New Jersey 2024.
Greenpoint Gallery. Open Call Salon Show. New York, NY. 2024.
Rhode Island Watercolor Society. Small Works. Pawtucket, Rhode Island. 2023.
Alfa Art Gallery. Close to Home NBAS Oil, Sculpture & Mixed Media. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 2023.
Alfa Art Gallery. L'Appel Du Vide : Oil Color & Mixed Media Salon. New Brunswick, New Jersey. 2016.
Hogarth Biannual. Meaningful. Meaningless. Park Ave, Manhattan, New York, NY. 1 year exhibit. 2014-2015.
Monmouth Museum. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Oh My! Lincroft, New Jersey. 2015.
City Hall of Jersey City. Eternal Glory, New Jersey. 2015.
58 Gallery. Cyberpunk. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2015.
Lincoln Inn. Artist House (June). Jersey City, New Jersey. 2015.
Lincoln Inn. Artist CoffeeHouse. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2015.
The Tides Art Gallery. Hotel Tides. Jersey Artist Registry: Exhibition #1. Asbury Park, New Jersey. 2015.
LITM Gallery. Little Wonders. Jersey City, New Jersey.2015.
Maxwells. My View. Hoboken, New Jersey. 2015.
Maxwells. Winter Blues. Hoboken, New Jersey. 2015.
Chashama Gallery. The Seed. Manhattan, New York City. 2014.
The Park Foundry, JCAI: Transcendental Downtown. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2014.
LITM Gallery. The Sight of Music. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2014.
City Hall of Jersey City. Two-Person Exhibition. New Jersey. 2014.
Raven Art Gallery & Boutique. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2014.
LITM Gallery. Chimeras. Jersey City, New Jersey. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. Fall Grand Salon Show. New York, NY. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. People's Choice Salon Show. New York, NY. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. Spring Juried Salon Show. New York, NY. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. Spring Grand Salon Show. New York, NY. 2014.
Nelvis Studios. The Collaboration. Elizabeth, New Jersey.2014.
Aedra Fine Arts Publishing
Curator & Editor, 2014 - present