Hannah Ireland: Running With Scissors

Hannah Ireland’s (b1995 Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) practice embodies the notion of contemporary portraiture. The essence of each subject conveyed emotively through a gestural depiction. Ireland’s works, though painted, have an undeniable sculptural quality in how she approaches not only display but also the process of making. Often repurposing disused window frames as a painting support, Ireland paints the foreground first to achieve her finished compositions. The layering achieved in the process of painting on glass creates a sense of abstraction and allows room for interpretation.

Running With Scissors pushes the sculptural quality of the artist’s approach to painting further — into a realm of installation. Noting the domestic quality of her painted supports, Ireland creates a scenario whereby the viewer can peek into the private domain of the subject through a shroud of glass.

Hannah Ireland is based in Tāmaki Makaurau. Ireland was the 2021 winner of the Molly Morpeth Canaday Award.

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I whanau mai a Hannah Ireland i te tau 1995, no Ngāti Hine me Ngāpuhi ia. He maha te wā ka whakamahingia anō tia e ia ngā taitapa matapihi hei tahataha tautoko mānea. I peitangia e Ireland te wāhanga o mua i te tuatahi kia taea te whakaoti tāna mahi na te tukanga tuitui whakapaparanga i runga i te matapihi ka hangaia te wairua peita tūrehurehu, ma reira ka taea e te kaimātaki te kite tāna e hiahia ai.

Image: Hannah Ireland, Silly Billy, 2023, watercolour and acrylic on found window.

Courtesy of the Artist and Jhana Millers

This exhibition was made possible with the support of The Chartwell Project.