Meet Avin HannahSmith | Multidisciplinary Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Avin HannahSmith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Avin, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
There are many moments in my studio practice that I had to make this decision. I have had to choose between weaving multiple content together or focusing on specific content in an art piece. This decision to draw those connections between content and material is what keeps me going in my studio practice. This question comes up a lot when I am experimenting with materials in my studio as well. One instance that I had to give up on the material was when I worked with resin. I knew I had to give up after it cost me studio time and space due to faulty default equipment; plus, this was my first time working with resin. I learned my lesson to experiment small before expanding an experimental project.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The name comes from my time as an undergraduate in Kent, Ohio. I was experiencing a shift in my art practice from an abstract painter to a conceptual-representational artist; All the while, I recounted moments of alienation between different spaces at university and home in Chicago, Illinois. The abstract-representational concept of an African American, an Afro-Alien, was born during one of several winter breaks and has evolved since then. Those experiences have shown me even more why i must create my work. That is one of many reasons why I am where I am today.

The journey was difficult because I had lost the drive to make art a few years after graduating from Kent. I have overcome my challenge as I grow into my lifelong artistic practice. A lesson I learned in my studio practice is to not overcrowd the compositions of the work unintentionally. Early developments of this concept saw a lot of this unintentional, compositional technique. I want to bring more awareness to the world – I want the world to know more about the issues and social commentary that I depict within my work.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I am a believer in a balance of new and old experiences on a week-long trip. The very first thing we would do is go to Parish14 for their brunch menu to start off on a cool afternoon stroll to the Hyde ark Art Center for their current exhibitions. I would take them to experience augmented reality at Verse Immersive in Downtown Chicago. I am a big sushi fan, so I would take them to Umai out on Printer’s Row. I would take them to an experimental sound performance to experience new sounds and perspectives.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my lovely partner, my marvelous family, and everyone that has helped me throughout my lifetime. I would not be here without y’all! As far as my artistic career goes, one of my amazing mentors, Darice Polo, gets this shoutout. She encouraged me to experiment with materials in my artistic career. This allowed me to see the possibilities of surfaces, compositions, and construction. I have kept that experimental spirit within my practice ever since my pivotal moments during my independent studies at Kent State University. She was the one to challenge my conceptual research and the meanings of materials that would ultimately make up my current fabricated creative vehicle: Afro-Alien Universe.

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