2-D art, including murals, mosaic, photography, etc.
Community engagement and social justice
Pittsburgh Creative Corps Artist Directory
Hannah Colen
Primary Discipline
Artistic Practice
Digital/photography
Writing-based interactive art
CARES Final Exhibition, 2024, photography prints. Exhibition created after a hands-on workshop for clients, frontline abortion workers, and doulas, in collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh and Brew House Arts.
Kimchi Jar, 2024, glass jars and written text. Interactive piece inviting audience members to anonymously share a lost dream, which then underwent a process of “fermentation.”
Dysphoria Blues, 2020, photographic print mounted on Dibond, 33″ x 85.”
Untitled Series, 2019-2024, digital photography.
Tender Series, 2019-ongoing, digital photography. Ongoing portrait series exploring physical vulnerability paired with reflective interviews. Guided by SAMHSA’s trauma-informed principles.
About the Artist
As a queer, Korean-American photographer and multidisciplinary artist, Hannah Colen’s process centers around empathy, relational storytelling, and trauma-informed methodologies. She works across photography, video, and interactive, socially-engaged practice, often collaborating with community organizers and cultural producers. Her recent projects investigate the power of community-shared archives as sites of healing and remembrance.
Colen earned her BA in Studio Arts and Marketing. After several years photographing and producing in the for-profit, politics, and entertainment sectors in Washington, D.C., she transitioned to a full-time freelance practice in late 2023.
Her work has been exhibited and presented at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Brew House Arts, and the Smithsonian Museum of Asian Art, amongst others. She is a recipient of the Pittsburgh Foundation BIPOC Artist Micro-Grant (2021) and was awarded the 2023 Carnegie Museums’ Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Art Award. She has facilitated ongoing trauma-informed photography workshops with the University of Pittsburgh, Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, Venture Outdoors, and more.
Colen’s ongoing practice is grounded in the belief that art is a vital tool for self-reclamation and intergenerational healing.
Photo by Corey Lankford
Web
Accreditations, Certifications, and/or Awards
- BIPOC Artist Micro-grant, Pittsburgh Foundation, 2021
- Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh Interdisciplinary Award, Carnegie Museums, 2023
Provides Fabrication Services to Other Artists
Yes
Teaching Artist
Yes, all ages
Joined the Directory
October 2025
Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
“I believe art can shift how people feel about themselves and the spaces they’re in. I’m passionate about producing age-appropriate and context-driven projects that explore themes of care and identity.”
Hannah Colen
Contact the Artist
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Related
PROJECT
Pittsburgh Creative Corps
Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pittsburgh Creative Corps initiative engages artists and creative workers to activate the public realm while providing economic opportunity.
