Artist Statement:
The assemblage art contains photography mounted on canvas as well as sketches with oil pastel 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 create loose sketches upon the remaining surface with oil pastel which helps deconstruct the physical aspects of the subject. I then write texts with ink on the canvas with poetic passages which ambiguously describe 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 portray an authentic experience of my surroundings free of filters.
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 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. By fusing written text with image-making, I create a conscious interpretation of my artistic methods in real-time. 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 is an assemblage artist, photographer, writer, and curator originally from Jersey City, New Jersey who has been creating art since the age of eight. He has exhibited extensively in the United States and has been featured in large exhibition spaces such as The Colonnade: performing arts theater in Ringgold, Georgia, the Victoria Gallery in Paterson, New Jersey, and the Atrium Gallery in Morristown, New Jersey. Notable shows in New York City include a solo exhibit in Chelsea at the Wix Gallery and a one year exhibit at Hogarth Worldwide in midtown Manhattan. Michael has been published by 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.
Resume
Publications:
​​​
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:
​
The Colonnade: performing arts theater. New Life. Ringgold, Georgia. 2025.
The Colonnade: performing arts theater. Interior Paintings. Ringgold, Georgia. 2024.
Wix Lounge Gallery : Enchanted Physics. Chelsea, Manhattan. New York City. 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:
​
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 City. 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 City. 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 City. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. People's Choice Salon Show. New York City. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. Spring Juried Salon Show. New York City. 2014.
Greenpoint Gallery. Spring Grand Salon Show. New York City. 2014.
Nelvis Studios. The Collaboration. Elizabeth, New Jersey.2014.
Aedra Fine Arts Publishing
Curator & Editor, 2014 - present