By Julia Kelm
Hannah Grace has always been interested in art, starting with crayons as a child.
It wasn’t until she turned 10 — when she began formal art lessons that continued in and out of high school — that she began to take art more seriously.
“I did AP art,” said Grace. “And then in my junior year, I left public school to go to an independent art school.”
This decision ended up being something Grace was extremely grateful for, using sheet money and scholarships to fund this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to further her dedication to art.
Her family also gave her a solid foundation for an appreciation of art. Her grandfather, in particular, was a shining light on her art career.
“He’s a huge portion of my life, and I love him so much,” said Grace.
Grace’s grandfather additionally introduced her to artist Tsherin Sherpa, who would become her future mentor.
Sherpa is an outstanding and influential artist from Nepal, whom her grandfather met and became a patron of many years ago.
Her grandfather first met Sherpa when he only had a studio apartment in Oakland. Now Sherpa resides between California and Nepal. He is known for his traditional Tibetan Thangka paintings, which he learned from his father, Master Urgen Dorje.
Grace met Sherpa over a dinner with him and his wife, Dolma, that her grandfather organized for her.
“I’ve idolized this person since I was a little kid,” Grace said. “I absolutely love their artwork. So it was kinda a dream come true.”
Grace brought her portfolio to dinner, where she received wonderful feedback from the Sherpas. However, the true highlight of the evening came when Sherpa’s wife turned to Grace and asked if she’d be interested in showcasing her work in Kathmandu, Nepal.
“Yes, absolutely,” Grace said. The rest became history.
Grace left for Nepal and stayed with her host mom for about two months to show her work.
Grace expresses her deep gratitude to the Sherpas for everything they’ve done, acknowledging how they made it possible for her to not only participate in the showcase but also fulfill her dream of traveling to Nepal.
The style of art Grace practices is a type of traditional Tibetan thangka, the same style Sherpa paints in. A style of Buddhist art that’s found in many other sects other than Nepali culture. The paintings are typically colorful and intricate and are very unique to the Western eye.
“It’s a very beautiful meditation based in artwork,” Grace said. “It’s kind of like a religious painting, telling a story within it.”
Grace’s showcase in Nepal was made up of this thangka style. Her exhibition was titled Where My Home and Allegiance Lies.
I asked Grace what her title meant, and what she wanted her viewer to feel or understand while looking at her artwork.
“I really wanted people to understand the beauty and fragility of the environment around us and how important it is, and the fact we’re losing it, but simultaneously understanding that this is where we belong,” Grace said. “This is something worth protecting, because it’s so beautiful and so precious.”
It’s often heard that art isn’t as important or as necessary as occupations like doctors or engineers. However, could you imagine a world without art? Art is all around us, from the shoes on your feet to the phone in your back pocket.
Art can be empowering and provides a voice to causes, issues, and things of personal importance, like Grace’s work.
Grace described to me an art piece she did for her grandfather when she was 16.
“It was a skull with butterflies,” Grace said. “I painted this as a [way to show] death is very beautiful. It’s just a change. Like, how lucky are we to get to die one day?”
I found this to be particularly touching, as Grace told me how her grandfather is getting older, but will always be an important piece in her life. His impact led her to be who she is today.
Alongside her art, Grace has an interest in environmental sciences. Pursuing environmental science was the original plan until 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic happened.
Feeling like a change in scenery was needed, she returned to her love of art, which felt like a natural transition. Her art still has major themes of environmentalism, due to her love for both the environment and art.
“Environmental science still really plays a heavy role with my artwork,” Grace said. “I did some environmental science fieldwork with Northern California Resource Center tracking owl populations. And a lot of the photos that I took while I was out there ended up being art pieces.”
Grace now resides in Arcata and is pursuing a studio arts degree here at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Upcoming showcases for Grace’s work include one in Arcata for a burlesque show in December, then another in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, which will be a larger event.
Grace plans to continue improving her artistic skills and eventually expand her presence to San Francisco or other art-friendly locations in California like Carmel, where opportunities for artists to thrive are more abundant.
Julia is a journalism major at Cal Poly Humboldt. She loves film and is a regular on Letterboxd. To quote Robin Williams in her all-time favorite movie, Dead Poets Society, “The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”