Hana Ward (b. 1989, Los Angeles, CA) makes paintings and ceramic works that explore themes of identity, introspection, and transformation. Appearing both ethereal and visceral, Ward weave together moods, motives and narratives to depict Black and Brown feminine figures who reflect and dream, creating their sovereign worlds from the inside out. These multitudinous visions of unfolding self-actualizations are sometimes sheltered in the solitude of domestic space and other times liberated into landscapes. Influenced by anticolonial histories, spiritual texts, and cycles of the natural world, as well as the canon of art history, Ward’s work excavates the inner dimension to discover a world where one’s sovereignty is in the here and now.

Ward received a BA from Brown University in 2011 and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. Ward’s work has recently been exhibited at venues including OCHI, Los Angeles, CA; Mrs. Gallery, Maspeth, Queens; Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA; Harun Gallery, Leimert Park, CA; Beyond Baroque, Venice, CA; and Giant Robot, Oakland, CA. In 2017 Ward was awarded a Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist-in-Residence Grant. Ward’s work has been featured in publications including Artforum, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Financial Times, Amadeus, Artillery Magazine, and AUTRE, and was featured in the Voices on Art Podcast in conjunction with Independent Art Fair.