Hopper Prize Journal: Insights Into Contemporary Art

Hasani Sahlehe

Hasani Sahlehe on making paintings that address spirituality, art as a means to initiate healing, & creating a universe that has an ever-expanding language.

Grant Winner, Hasani Sahlehe

Laura Berger

Laura Berger discusses art as an avenue for healing, making new work in anticipation of Art Miami, painting as a way to touch upon emotions, & the psychology of color & spatial reslationships.

Grant Winner, Laura Berger

Abi Salami

Abi Salami discusses creating art as a full-time career, making new works with complex compositions & topics, working in series as a means to convey a message, & completing a residency at Field Projects.

Abi Salami, Grant Winner

Samantha Sutcliffe

Samantha Sutcliffe on two new projects, the potential for a place to damage a person, & making art as an outlet to process & understand.

Grant Finalist, Samantha Sutcliffe

Debbi Kenote

Debbi Kenote on the power of size & shape, a practice that revoles around an intense use of color, exploring interlocking structures, & abstract references to landscapes.

Debbi Kenote, Grant Finalist

Maggie Shannon

Maggie Shannon on curiosity as the impetus for new work, photographing pie eating contests, & passion as an overarching theme to connect projects.

Grant Finalist, Maggie Shannon

Anna Carey

Anna Carey discusses involuntary memory & shifting place, conflating imagination & various spaces into one space, & developing the idea of architecture & fantasy.

Anna Carey, Grant Finalist

Yin Ming Wong

Yin Ming Wong on the endless possibilities of expression, how community & conversation sustains the momentum of creation, & ping pong as a metaphor for deeply personal experiences.

Grant Finalist, Yin Ming Wong

Cherisse Alcantara

Cherisse Alcantara discusses drawing since childhood, new work that explores urban & architectural spaces, & a practice that requires deep focus.

Cherisse Alcantara, Grant Finalist

David Bipolo

David Bipolo on comics & graphic novels as an entry point to fine art, a practice that heavily incorporates writing, researching & studying, & finding infinite inspiration.

David Bipolo, Grant Finalist

photo by @galezucker

Karen Kassap

Karen Kassap discusses making work that expresses ideas & emotions, finding balance between inner life & the outer world, & producing metaphors for universal emotions & meaning.

Grant Finalist, Karen Kassap

Emma Childs

Emma Childs discusses early memories of making art, minimalist visual metaphors, & complicated ideas about human relationships.

Emma Childs, Grant Finalist

Furong Zhang

Furong Zhang discusses the collective & contradictory spaces between mythologies & reality, psychological interiors, & making art as a respite from a chaotic environment.

Furong Zhang, Grant Finalist

Judd Schiffman

Judd Schiffman on Buddhist meditation and Shamanic spiritual practices, preparing for multiple upcoming exhibitions, & exploring personal rites of passage.

Grant Finalist, Judd Schiffman

Alicia Reyes McNamara

Alicia Reyes McNamara on the importance of a supportive family, working towards an upcoming exhibition, & opening up the concept of an in-between space.

Alicia Reyes McNamara, Grant Finalist

Pia Chavarria

Pia Chavarria on early drawing references, the notion of ‘not knowing’, portraits & non-portraits, & the number of possiblities behind each subject.

Grant Finalist, Pia Chavarria

Aaron Christopher Rees

Aaron Christopher Rees discusses the phenomological experience of seeing, playing with allegory, abstraction & symbolism, & the meditive nature embedded in the physical act of making.

Aaron Christopher Rees, Grant Finalist

Scrill Davis

Scrill Davis on early experiences with photography, creating with local talent while traveling, using music to set the tone while working, & expanding his brand.

Grant Finalist, Scrill Davis

Dylan Hausthor

Dylan Hausthor on early memories of making things, story telling as a central component of a practice, deeply relating to specific spaces, & basking in meditative days.

Dylan Hausthor, Grant Finalist

Kenechi Unachukwu

Kenechi Unachukwu discusses multiple ongoing projects, a need to document this important time in history, photographing the essence of a culture, & early experiences with photography.

Grant Finalist, Kenechi Unachukwu

Journal

Hasani Sahlehe on making paintings that address spirituality, art as a means to initiate healing, & creating a universe that has an ever-expanding language.

Laura Berger discusses art as an avenue for healing, making new work in anticipation of Art Miami, painting as a way to touch upon emotions, & the psychology of color & spatial reslationships.

Abi Salami discusses creating art as a full-time career, making new works with complex compositions & topics, working in series as a means to convey a message, & completing a residency at Field Projects.

Samantha Sutcliffe on two new projects, the potential for a place to damage a person, & making art as an outlet to process & understand.

Debbi Kenote on the power of size & shape, a practice that revoles around an intense use of color, exploring interlocking structures, & abstract references to landscapes.

Maggie Shannon on curiosity as the impetus for new work, photographing pie eating contests, & passion as an overarching theme to connect projects.

Anna Carey discusses involuntary memory & shifting place, conflating imagination & various spaces into one space, & developing the idea of architecture & fantasy.

Yin Ming Wong on the endless possibilities of expression, how community & conversation sustains the momentum of creation, & ping pong as a metaphor for deeply personal experiences.

Cherisse Alcantara discusses drawing since childhood, new work that explores urban & architectural spaces, & a practice that requires deep focus.

David Bipolo on comics & graphic novels as an entry point to fine art, a practice that heavily incorporates writing, researching & studying, & finding infinite inspiration.

Karen Kassap discusses making work that expresses ideas & emotions, finding balance between inner life & the outer world, & producing metaphors for universal emotions & meaning.

Emma Childs discusses early memories of making art, minimalist visual metaphors, & complicated ideas about human relationships.

Furong Zhang discusses the collective & contradictory spaces between mythologies & reality, psychological interiors, & making art as a respite from a chaotic environment.

Judd Schiffman on Buddhist meditation and Shamanic spiritual practices, preparing for multiple upcoming exhibitions, & exploring personal rites of passage.

Alicia Reyes McNamara on the importance of a supportive family, working towards an upcoming exhibition, & opening up the concept of an in-between space.

Pia Chavarria on early drawing references, the notion of ‘not knowing’, portraits & non-portraits, & the number of possiblities behind each subject.

Aaron Christopher Rees discusses the phenomological experience of seeing, playing with allegory, abstraction & symbolism, & the meditive nature embedded in the physical act of making.

Scrill Davis on early experiences with photography, creating with local talent while traveling, using music to set the tone while working, & expanding his brand.

Dylan Hausthor on early memories of making things, story telling as a central component of a practice, deeply relating to specific spaces, & basking in meditative days.

Kenechi Unachukwu discusses multiple ongoing projects, a need to document this important time in history, photographing the essence of a culture, & early experiences with photography.

Stay Connected

Follow Us on Instagram @hopperprize

Join Our Network

Follow Us on Instagram
@hopperprize