Ostrich Magazine

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Hannah Marcelle

My name is Han Marc (they/she) and I’m an artist currently studying, creating, growing, and breathing in Delaware. As a young queer artist, I have struggled finding my identity both in and out of the art world.

In my personal life, it often feels like I am only just beginning to know myself in the present, and each previous iteration of myself becomes foreign. As time passes and I have become more informed with my own identity, I feel as though my work is just starting to take shape as well.

I am still experimenting and I have little consistency when it comes to my work, but I recently have enjoyed working with paint, crayons, and colored pencils.

Instagram: @fossilcry

Growing up in a place where I have often felt like the odd one out, I wanted to depict beings and spaces that exist for the odd one out to feel at home in. The figures I create are often a little odd, not entirely representing anything orthodox, but somehow still feeling familiar. The idea of queer childhood, feeling queer, yet lacking the means to describe these feelings is the feeling that encompasses my work.

I create because I’m constantly chasing that moment when I have total control over my work and each mark I am making feels right and I reach a point of certainty. While I don’t always have this certainty to describe myself, I compensate for that lack by creating.

I take inspiration from everything in life. Sometimes it’s a memory, sometimes it’s the way the clouds look, and other times it's the photos I see on Instagram. Either way the end result is a mad dash to the nearest piece of paper where I can spit the idea down.
All in all, my goal is for someone to view my pieces and feel something.

Where would you like your work to take you?

My dream is to be able to support myself with my art alone. I’d love to be able to have my own studio space, as most of my work comes out of my bedroom currently. I’d just like to be able to put work out there that potentially inspires others.

Which part of your creative process do you enjoy most?

My favorite part of the creative process is when the work finally starts to make sense and I can see a clear path in my head of everything that I need to do to get the work to where I’d like it to be. It’s like figuring out a really complicated math problem, or solving a puzzle; all the pieces start to fall into place. It puts me into a great state of mind, one where I’m confident and collected and I feel in my element. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I draw inspiration from so many sources. I do look a lot at what I’m exposed to online and while I think it’s more helpful most of the time, I’ve noticed that it can be pretty damaging when your brain is constantly trying to live in comparison to the artists around you. I’ve spent a good bit of my art life trying to make my work palatable, and I’ve found it exhausting. Aside from that, I really admire artists that have built their own iconography within their work. I’ve also been really into folk art lately. It’s interesting to be in a space like college where I’m exposed to all kinds of work. I definitely think my peers inspire me and motivate me to push out of my comfort zone. 

What piece of music would you say compliments your work the most?

The music that compliments my work the most would probably be whatever I was listening to at the time I made it. Within the past year or so, I’ve seen a pretty big change in not just the kind of art I’ve been making, but also in the kind of music I’ve been listening to. Lately it’s been a lot of Cocteau Twins, Paul Simon, and Adrianne Lenker.

Can you list a couple other creatives/friends/people you look to for inspiration?

My roommates are more helpful to me than they will ever know. They have endured many of my wacky ideas, supported me through the stressful times, and have been there for me while I’ve grown into someone new. As for other creatives, I really admire the work of @jamikwolfe, @doomandglue, @ellabwd.art and the imagery they have exposed me to.