Hannah Epstein (AKA Hanski) is a contemporary Canadian, LA-based artist whose practice constructs expanded cinematic environments through the collision of folkloric tradition, cultural critique, and AI image systems. Working across textile, installation, animation, projection, video games, and generative media, Epstein creates immersive narrative worlds where handcrafted objects and synthetic imagery coexist in unstable states of transformation.
Raised in Nova Scotia by three generations of Latvian women, Epstein was captivated at an early age by the vibrant images on American television channels and the slow-loading visuals on Internet 1.0 desktops. Epstein was drawn to art and entertainment that starkly contrasted with the grayness of her immediate reality. This established brash, bombastic and folk-coded images as a key component of her artistic exploration, which carries a critical lens for examining contemporary culture.
Holding a BA in Folklore from Memorial University and an MFA from Carnegie Mellon, Epstein's practice rigorously engages traditional storytelling techniques while critically confronting the commodification and mediation of contemporary narratives.
Epstein's current textile and mixed-media works transform centuries-old rug-hooking techniques into immersive narrative worlds that blur myth, memory, and coded lore.
Her work has been exhibited globally and featured prominently in publications such as the LA Times, Canadian Art, CBC Arts, Hyperallergic, Architectural Digest, and Juxtapoz Magazine.