Emerging artist Hannah Genosko exhibits a series of work exploring experiences of revelation through the perspective of invented outsider artist named Elevia Anne Mitchell. A portion of the work is made from Elevia’s perspective, imagining she used artwork to process her secluded life, visions, and dreams. It blurs the line between religious fervor and mental illness, and examines the way art can be used to process and record one’s life. The mixed media series, consisting of intaglio-process prints and embroidery, is on view in the Corridor Gallery until August 30.

About her practice Genosko explains:

I’m inspired by the religious works of Hildegard von Bingen, the historical concept of mad prophets and my own nightmares. While I focus on printmaking my art also incorporates textiles, performance, bookmaking and collage. My work engages myths and religious themes perpetuated in an era when printed matter, specifically etching, was the dominant media. I am in my fourth year of working with intaglio, specifically drypoint needle etching on copper and zinc plates. Though associated with precision and mastery, I use this process to produces images that often appear compulsively scribbled to depict the tension and turmoil associated with rapture and anguish. My recent work explores fears inspired by the witch and madwoman archetypes through first person narrative drawing. Scenes depict a female figure experiencing nightmares, religious rapture, and finding herself at the brink of madness. The work reveals new experiences, unearths and pores over old memories to evoke an ever-expanding life story.

Hannah Genosko was raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and currently inhabits Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is interested. Her interest in visual culture and working with her hands led her to NSCAD University where she studied printmaking, drawing, and art history. Her graduation exhibition Elevia Anne Mitchell: Life’s Work challenged the museological exploitation of outsider artists and explored themes of religious revelation and mental illness. Her other interests include bookmaking, cooking, indigenous rights, feminism, gender theory, and the visual culture of fish and ice hockey. She has exhibited and volunteered with NS Printmakers, and is the co-founder of Seafolk Printmaking Collective.

Located inside the Visual Arts Nova Scotia office at the Halifax Seaport since 2000, the Corridor Gallery is complimented by a historical legacy of Nova Scotia culture, simple yet modern architectural elements and an array of current cultural activity in the Cultural Federations of Nova Scotia office. The Corridor Gallery is located at 1113 Marginal Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia and is open Monday through Friday, 9:30am – 5pm.

Visual Arts Nova Scotia advances the visual arts through leadership, education, and communication.

High resolution image for press available via Dropbox.

For further information regarding the exhibition please contact:

Carri MacKay
Programming Coordinator
902.423.4694 | 1.866.225.8267 | f: 902.422.0881
vans@visualarts.ns.ca | www.visualarts.ns.ca