Hanna Washburn

Hanna Washburn

Wellesley, MA

Kenyon Class of ’14, Studio Art major

This project is an autobiographical investigation into the intersection of personal identity, the human body, and external space. As a child of physicians, I have always been fascinated by the functions of the body, and the complex anatomy inside each of us. My work is an attempt to recognize all the different pieces of myself, engaging in a personal biological study. At this moment of transition, I want to use this project to reflect on where I have been spatially, and how I have learned and progressed in my heart, brain, and gut. I want to acknowledge the air I have breathed in different places, and the experiences I have digested. This project is a visual representation of the development of my physical and psychological self, reflecting my growing comprehension of youth, mortality, and my own identity.

In artistically re-imagining my insides and outsides, and fusing them with maps of places I have lived, I visually articulate the relationship between internal self and external environment. I am drawn to maps and anatomical drawings, for they visually communicate intricate systems, exposing the complex beauty of the human experience. They acknowledge and convey our internal and external realities. This project is my attempt to identify, comprehend, and claim ownership of my parts. I want to infuse this archive of myself with time and narrative through careful compilation and delicate construction, presenting the viewer with an overwhelming, intimate collection of human shapes. I need to understand my personal development through visual recreation, using a tangible, artistic process to articulate personal growth.

– Hanna Washburn, ‘14