Biographie
Born in 1986 in Finland, Hanna Rast studied art at Aalto University, Helsinki, and graduated in 2009. Since 2014 she has won several prizes awarded by institutions like the Herala Foundation or the Arts Promotion Centre in Finland. Since 2016 she has exhibited her series “Pine Needles” in many different cities in Finland, including Helsinki and Jyvaskyla, but also in France in Arles to the Galerie Nomade and Voies off festival and Estonia.
Présentation
There is no tangible time in the growth of a person; there are only transitions. By this I mean how we change in our bodies, minds and consciousness when becoming adults. Meanwhile, we are very sensitive to shifts and distractions from the outside world. These distractions may remarkably affect how we perceive the world and ourselves.
My series Pine needles examines the role of photography in representing identity and the distractions and interruptions that may push us off the path of normal development. Sudden turns of events can change our perception of trust, personality and self- confidence. My works are based on personal experiences and by connecting these with my artistic work, I am trying to define how our personalities might suddenly change and how understanding the past is necessary for the present self.
I apply old photographs with new ones to reconstruct an image of my own identity. The method is simultaneously a sort of a study on how to take control over one’s own narrative. While working with the images, I am no longer an observer – I am becoming a participant. In this process, the most important part is to engage oneself on the level of comprehension. Photographs may show us our past, but what we do with them and how we use them is about today, not yesterday. The traces of our former lives are utilized in a never-ending process of making, remaking and making sense of ourselves today.