Hannah Paz-Westbrook (they/she) is a queer multimedia artist based in Albuquerque, NM. They received their Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting at Herron School of Art + Design in Indianapolis. Hannah has exhibited in Indianapolis, Chicago, Houston, New York, and New Mexico. Their work is part of the permanent collections of the Eskenazi Health Foundation, and Gregory & Appel. In 2021, Hannah co-founded ONE DROP, an artist collective that promoted and exhibited marginalized artists across the U.S. Currently, Hannah is exploring the combination of painting, fiber arts, video projection, and the politics of identity and place.
Artist Statement
Growing up as a biracial Mexican-American, queer, third-culture kid, I am intimately familiar with belonging in in-between spaces. I was raised in a very conservative and religious missionary family, living in Kazakhstan during my earliest childhood years. Later moving to predominantly white small towns in Indiana, I found myself to be a perpetual outsider, distinctly separate from my peers, and secretly skeptical of the religion I was raised in due to my insistent curiosity and incurable queerness, until I finally summoned the bravery to steep out and define myself on my own terms. My art has always been a mirror for me, a place to reflect the strange and unique parts of humanity that defy assimilation, risk being misunderstood, and insist on celebration. As an anti-disciplinary artist, I resist patriarchal and colonial concepts of mastery over a medium. I synthesize a common language between various materials such as painting, fiber arts, and video, pulling together disciplines that may seem incongruent on the surface. I utilize abstracted portraiture, color theory, and moiré patterns, crafting compositions that blur the lines between figures and backgrounds. This deliberate ambiguity invites viewers to engage in a deeper dialogue with the artwork, encouraging us to look beyond the surface and uncover the layers of meaning hidden within. Through careful observation and a willingness to embrace curiosity, I hope to inspire a greater appreciation for nuance and complexity.
CV
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2020
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Herron School of Art + Design, Indianapolis, IN
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2025
Veils & Ventanas, Remedy Coffee, Albuquerque, NM (solo show)
Woven Reverie, Fusion Theater Company, Albuquerque, NM (invitational group show and set design at runway fashion show)
Untitled, Remedy Coffee, Albuquerque, NM (group show)
Not For Sale, Evoke Gallery, Chicago, IL (invitational group show)
2024
Just Like Heaven, Random Access Gallery, Syracuse, NY, (invitational group show)
generations ii, Gregory & Appel, Indianapolis, IN (group show and public permanent collection)
Talavera, The Stutz, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
Winding Accord, Global Economic Summit at Indiana Convention Center and Companion Gallery, Indianapolis, IN (invitational group show)
Eskenazi Health Center, Thomas and Arlene Grande Campus, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show and public permanent collection)
Industry Baby, Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
Nouvelle Nature, ArtsGarden at Circle Center Mall, Indianapolis, IN (installation at Midwest Fashion Week runway show)
2023
Chromagic, The Stutz, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
DigiGaze, State Street Pub, Indianapolis, IN (solo show)
Enamoiré, Harrison Gallery, Indianapolis, IN (solo show)
2022
Between Us: Midwest Vanguard, OneAmerica Tower, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
HumanKIND: Identity Hidden and Revealed, Indiana Wesleyan University, 1920 Gallery (duo show with Chanya Ruby)
2021
Green: A Color Exhibit, Garfield Park Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
Undergraduate Capstone Show, Eskenazi Fine Arts Center, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
Sum of Unity, Berkshire, Reese and Paul Galleries, Indianapolis, IN (group show)
2020
NEVER ODD OR EVEN, Herron School of Art + Design, Indianapolis, IN (solo show)
Homebound, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show)
College Invitational, Indianapolis Art Center, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show)
Annual Student Show, Barnes and Thornberg LLP, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show)
2019-2018
Annual Student Show, Barnes and Thornberg LLP, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show)
Undergraduate Student Show, Berkshire, Reese, and Paul Galleries, Indianapolis, IN (juried group show)
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Navigating Polarities, Gregory & Appel, Indianapolis, IN
Webs of Co-Created Space, Eskenazi Health Center, Indianapolis, IN
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2025
Gallery Manager at Remedy Coffee, Albuquerque, NM
2024
Undercurrents, Gallery 411, Columbus, IN, group show
2023
Underground, 4th Street Garage, Bloomington, IN, group show
2022
Blueprints, Columbus Visitors Center, Columbus, IN, group show
Molasses, Elevate Creative Studios, Houston, TX, group show
2021
One Drop, The AMP at 16-Tech, Indianapolis, IN, group show