February's Maker: True Currency
- Amber Frid
- Feb 1, 2018
- 3 min read
Hannah Grace, owner of True Currency, is an amazing artist! I cannot stress this enough. I have admired her work since we both were at UNC at Asheville. She had a series called "OK OR" that she presented her senior year of undergrad - it blew me away! I am obsessed with every piece. She captures anxiety, depression and various emotions in a way that felt raw, realistic and relatable. I have wanted to own a piece by her for years now! I was finally able to get one for my husband this Christmas. Now we have her interpretation of a hobbit hole overlooking the Shire hanging at our front door. We see it every time we leave the house. I feel so lucky to call this talented lady a friend. Hannah Grace's current series "Floral Femme" is stunning. She is combining the beauty and strength found in nature and femininity to create a striking image of women. Keep reading to her more about her latest series.
Where does the name True Currency come from? It comes from one of my favorite sentiments in the whole world, and also from one of my favorite movies---Almost Famous. It's the idea that "the only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else when you're uncool." How or when did you discover your love for painting? I always found solace from my nervousness in drawing and using my hands as a kid. Big fan of escapism! My nose was either buried in a book or my hands were busy copying images that captivated me--namely images from my comic books. And then in 9th grade, a wonderful art teacher (now owner of Gypsybee Studios yay!) put a paint brush in my hand and told me to paint what made me happy. There were a lot of Beatles portraits and Zoso symbols made that year. It was an immediate bond, both with the tactile sensation of the medium and the total mindfulness I could achieve. After that, my life became a series of lessons and research and trial and (a lot) of error. I'm never not thinking about it. What is your favorite piece that you've created? Oooooooh tough...I'd have to say a piece called "It Goes It Goes It Goes It Goes"
What are your long term goals as an artist? This is a constant battle, this definition and all it holds. But at the core of it all, I simply want to affect people with my imagery. I want something I create to positively affect or deeply connect with another human and improve their condition. What are your favorite subjects to paint? I love the human form in all its iterations. Its complex and beautiful and visceral. Hands, faces, muscles--it's all fascinating to me. Who or what are some of your major influences?
I would say a lot of the classics play into my love of painting—Van Gogh, Degas, Caravaggio, Rauschenberg, Pollock. But in that mix would also have to be the artists of Marvel comics and some contemporaries like Jason Shawn Alexander and Alex Kanevsky. Not to mention that my whole life and my paintings have been heavily influenced by music. Lots of heavy, sticky, emo-y lyrics or certain tones in songs have always enhanced my ideas and creativity. Tell us more about your current series "Floral Femme". This is a newer series I've been playing with lately. It pairs imagery of women and flora in an attempt to redefine that relationship. Rather than showing either
as dainty, decorative, or precious, I'm trying to highlight both for what they really are--substantial, life-giving, tenacious, durable, enduring. Plants like Wisteria take no shit, and those like Climbing Roses flourish when given the space to rise. This is my attempt at reclaiming our image from the "male gaze," and refocusing it to be a broader and more accurate depiction. In the wake of current social climates, I found it important to show beauty in more ways than the antiquated. SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook: www.facebook.com/truecurrencyhg Instagram: @truecurrencyhg Website: https://www.truecurrencyhg.com Use offer code FRIDDINGAMAZING at Hannah's shop for the month of February to receive 15% off your order of $15 or more! You won't regret adding a piece of her art to your wall!
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