Hanan Khan 

Deconstruct the past, 2023

Mixed media: fiber, leaves, canvas, paint, and found objects.

My artwork always contains mixed-media. I am an interdisciplinary artist. I use textile style, painting, collage, lights, fibers, and paper. My work explores my inner world, and outer world as well. I play with concepts and situations that I have experienced like migration, immigration, trauma,  roots, my family tree, nation-state, fusion, and Identity. 

In my recent art work I have torn painted flags to emphasize tearing society’s idea about those countries, then presenting two fully painted canvases representing new forms point of view of those countries( Saudi Arabia and India). I have also collaged My great grandfather’s picture along with my father’s picture to connect the two pictures with a fake vine, to emphasize family and roots. 

I have created the piece in order to connect with my ancestor that I have forgotten. And to forgive the society that I have lived in, as well as forgiving myself for allowing others to bully me without standing up for myself. My overall vision is to connect all that I am together: my Indian blood along with my Saudi upbringing, and my current self that is breaking free from society’s grip; all together in one large piece. 

I would expect my audience to look into the piece deeper than skin, and to see the wholeness of the process of breaking free, and gathering all the pieces together. The audience of multicultural backgrounds would understand the deeper meaning the most, but I would hope others would be compassionate enough to try to understand the deep struggle of immigration, migration, and all in between.