Artist, maker, soft sculptor

"Hanna Shim is an artist based in Tamaki Makarau. Born in Seoul, Korea, and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, Hanna identifies herself as a maker, working across various mediums including installations, paintings, soft sculptures, textile art, and video works. Her practice embodies playfulness and a touch of childishness, evident in her creative processes and visual outcomes. She condenses and blends contradictory imagery, objects, and stories drawn from her diasporic background.

Hanna completed her Master's degree in Fine Arts at Elam School of Fine Arts MFA in 2015. She has showcased her work in solo exhibitions such as 'Headless' at Whitespace Gallery (2016), 'Lost in Forest' at Whitespace Gallery (2017), 'Smer Smer' at Aigantighe Gallery (2019), 'Mushroom Room' (2020), and 'Wishing You Well' (2022), and ‘Pillow Garden’(2024). Additionally, she has been part of numerous group exhibitions."

Solo Shows

2024, Studio One Toi Tu, Auckland

2022, Enjoy Contemporary Art Space, Wellington

2019, Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland

2020, Private window space, Grey Lynn, Auckland

2019, Aigantighe Gallery, Timaru
2018, Nathan Homestead, Auckland

2017, Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland

2016, Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland

Group Shows

2022, City of Colour, Te Komititanga Square, Auckland

2021, Kiss Me, Hardy!, The Suter Art Gallery, Nelson

2021, Splore Festival, Tapapakanga Regional Park, Auckland

2020, Wallace Art Awards Finalists,
Pah Homestead, Auckland

2019, Nori 놀이, Auckland ArtWeek, Ellen Melville Centre, Auckland

2018, Give Me Space, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland

2018, Satellites Event, Northcote Town Centre, Auckland

2018, #Update, Corban Estate Arts Centre, Auckland

Dream is Soft Place to Land

2018, Street Art Dego, Auckland ArtWeek, Khartoum place, Auckland

Alex, the T-rex

2018, Splore Festival, Tapapakanga Regional Park, Auckland

Lost in a Forest

2017, Welcome to Jungle, Whakatāne Museum and Arts, Whakatāne

Headless

2016, Grad Show, Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland

2016, Vacating and Inhabiting, Whitespace Contemporary Art, Auckland

2015, Grad Show, Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland

2024, Embellish, Sanderson Contemporary Art, Auckland

Recognitions

2024, Finalist, Type Here

2018, Gold Pin Best Awards

2020, Wallace Art Awards, People’s Choice Award

2017, Finalist Estuary Art and Ecology Awards

Malcolm Smith Gallery

2012, Top 6, Art Schools Awards

Elam School of Fine Arts

2014, Finalist, The Henrietta Watercolour Scholarship

Eden Arts

Media / Reviews / Essays

2022, Underbelly

2022, Wishing you Well

2020, Mushroom Room

2019, Bone Like This

2019, Smer Smer 스멀스멀

Education

2015-2016, MFA, Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland

2011, International Exchange, Course BFA, Seoul National University

2009-2012 BFA, Elam School of Fine Arts, The University of Auckland