Hana Ward (born 1989 in Los Angeles) received a BA from Brown University in 2011. Ward’s work has been exhibited internationally at venues including the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Museum (Long Beach, CA); the California African American Museum (LA); Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions; Harun Gallery (LA); Beyond Baroque (LA); OCHI (LA); The FLAG Art Foundation (New York, NY); Mrs. (Queens, NY); Roche Projects (Kyoto, Japan); and The Breeder (Athens, Greece). In 2023, Ward attended the Hayama Residency in Japan, and in 2017 she received a Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs Artist-in-Residence Grant. Ward’s work has been featured in numerous publications including Amadeus, Artforum, Artillery, AUTRE, Financial Times, Frieze, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times. Ward currently lives and works in LA and is represented by OCHI.
What does it mean to make drawings, especially over other art forms?
My favorite part of drawings are those initial, instinctual, spirit-filled lines that are animated by impulse and don’t involve much thinking. For this reason, I try to draw fast without looking at the paper much and without lifting my pencil much either. I love to make quick drawings that capture the essence of what I’m seeing. I’m not sure I could work on a drawing over a long period of time. There’s a freshness I like to keep in drawings that feels different from my paintings and ceramic sculptures, which are sort of massaged into being.
What kind(s) of rituals are embedded in your drawing practice?
I also like to draw and doodle while I’m listening to things. My mind and ears are busy, and my hands want something to do. It was always easier for me to listen in class if I was drawing.
In what ways does Los Angeles influence (or not) your approach to drawing?
There is hope in the air here . . . a tradition of people chasing their dreams, from escaping Jim Crow to starring in Hollywood. It’s the Wild West, too, so tradition can get bucked, and expansiveness and freedom are imbedded in the culture. I think these qualities come through in my work, regardless of the medium.