We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Avin Hannahsmith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Avin below.

Avin, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first time that I touched a dollar as a professional artist I was as young as twenty-three. I was attending the Fine Arts program at Kent State University at the time. I did not feel as much as an artist then as I do now. It clicked for me when I was able to learn and show myself that my artistic techniques, terminology, and understanding increased to meet deadlines, produce substantial work, and develop my artistic career. This led me to be accepted into the annual GAR Foundation show in 2017.

I met my first client here, the program officer at the time of the GAR foundation. We struck up a conversation during the opening reception of the show. This exchange went from discussing a Basquiat exhibit in Cleveland to similarities in hair texture between my Afro-Alien character and ourselves. She ended up buying a piece known as “Internally Outward” which has several materials including oil pastel and chalk pastel. This discovery started a series of works based on a fabricated universe. This piece was the first of mine to sell as an artist which left me ecstatic and ready to embark on my artistic career from then on.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I hail from the far Southeast side of Chicago where I started my pursuit into the arts. I have always enjoyed learning new skills and this translated to learning about new materials. I fell into mixed media and have worked towards experimental opportunities ever since. This explains why my work spans across materials and surfaces that I find to be a part of understanding myself and my artistic practice. My affinity for materials eventually went into learning technologies. I am interested in how I can expand my practice using new media tools of today such as video, sound, and graphic design (see the image with red, green, yellow, and blue lines) to say the least.

I am most proud of my artistic and educational journeys because those journeys helped shape my purposes in life. I am currently a graduate student in the Studio Art program at Columbia College Chicago. Education opens endless possibilities for those willing to put in time and effort to invest in themselves. My passion to engage, connect, and teach communities has increased since my time as a professional creative. My time at Columbia has strengthened my passion, artistic practice, and drive to carry out my goals.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a professional creative is that I can connect with others through freedom of expression. I can talk to them about their life experiences and their relationships to the arts. Their freedom of expression is valuable to me because I can hold conversations with my audience that are honest and life changing. These moments of humanity are what the arts field captures effortlessly throughout its multitude of fields. This type of connection is priceless and creates chances to foster a healthy community – from one person to another – that can in turn create a brighter future.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

The pivot in my artistic career came after my first year in graduate school. I have worked with a fabricated creative vehicle that I named the Afro-Alien universe for close to a decade. This universe was built around exposing the immobility of African Americans living in America. Over time, I felt the need to zoom out of the situations shown in my work to bring a view onto the many events happening all at once.

I am now shifting this universe to an omnipresent view. I search for and celebrate the spirituality found through Afro-Identity in this new work. The spirit of people in a community over the years – their movements, their connections, and the spirituality of the land that has seen many challenges. This pivotal moment examines spiritual geo-location, urban zoning systems, and identity.

The first pivot was on concept, while materiality and construction are each reaching pivotal moments in the studio right now. Two in-progress pieces with various materials in the background are included in this interview. These images capture the exact pivotal moments that I am experiencing in my artistic career to present. You can scan the QR code in the piece “South Deering Story Time” (See image with the green and yellow lines) and learn more about some ideas I will explore in my next body of work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://avinarts.space/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AvinArts2
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AvinArts2/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/avin-hannahsmith-377a4895/
• Twitter: https://x.com/AvinArts2
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/AvinArts2/
  

  @avinarts2

  https://opensea.io/collection/fabulous-3e

Image Credits

Images 1, 2, and 3: Andre Barker Jr.