Studio Visit: Hannah Cooper
Hannah Cooper is an artisan weaver living and working in the Southern Highlands of NSW, where the Dharawal and Dhurga people are the traditional owners of the land.
Hannah asked me to capture her portrait and process, and I was very happy to spend a drizzly overcast morning following her around her home studio and garden. Each of Hannah’s artworks represents hours and hours of labour across multiple processes. The artist colours her threads with natural dyes she harnesses from the botanicals growing in her garden, the nearby Morton National Park, and beyond. The threads are then labouriously pulled and positioned via a large timber loom Hannah sourced in Europe. Weaving this way is truly a test of physical and mental stamina- Hannah listens to many, many podcasts as her limbs move continuously and the warp and weft take on a beautiful form.
The finished pieces are expressions of rich natural colour and calming pixel-style patterns (in the current style Hannah is exploring), the textured nuances of which are revealed on closer observation.
There was lots of laughter and chatter during this photo session, and even though the sun was totally AWOL and Hannah’s studio was dimly lit, her bright, friendly demeanour shone through.
Hannah has a solo show coming up at Gallery Jennings Kerr in Robetson this month. ‘Slow Pixels’ will run from January 12th til February 4th, with an opening reception to be held on Saturday January 13th, from 2 - 4 pm.
Photography by Jessica Bellef