A Korean-American photographer, producer, and multidisciplinary artist, Hannah Colen's work observes the modern world through the female gaze. In 2019, she introduced a trauma-informed paradigm into her own practice, in preparation for her Tender series and other intimate projects. Outside of portraiture, she's passionate about detailed, documentary-style photography and uplifting marginalized voices.
She currently resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Select Clients
The Art Supply Co, BB&R Wellness, Benvenuti Arts, Brewhouse Arts, Casey Droege Cultural Productions, Community College of Allegheny County, ESPN Andscape, George Washington University Museum & the Textile Museum, Keystone Progress Education Fund, Mattress Factory Museum, NBCU, Pedantic Arts Residency, Pittsburgh Public Theater, PNC Bank, Politics & Prose, the Pop District, Shiftworks (Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Art), Sixth & I, Smithsonian's Asian-American Literature Festival, Smithsonian's Asian Pacific American Center, Smithsonian's Folklife Festival, Steel City Squash, Street Plans, United Airline Workers, University of Pittsburgh, the Warhol Museum, White House Historical Association, Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation, World Bank Group
Awards
2025 Served as juror for Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh's 'Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh'
2023 Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh's 'Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh,' Interdisciplinary Art Winner
2021 The Mac Miller Fund x Pittsburgh Foundation BIPOC Artist Micro-Grant Awardee
Features/Publications
2025 'How Asian American Spaces are Keeping Our Community Alive' for Joy Sauce, digital
2025 Photography feature, Luna Collective Magazine (Issue #24), print & digital
2025 Feature “Q&A with Hannah Colen: The Sun is Finally Out” in Petrichor Magazine
2024 Regeneration (Issue #1) feature in Godz Rising
2023 'Outcry After Smithsonian Cancels Asian American Literature Festival' for Hyperallergic
2021 'Event Aims To Heal Pittsburgh's Communities Following Atlanta Shooting' for 90.5 WESA
2021 'Vaccine scientist by day,… How Ruby Ibarra is defying stereotypes' for TODAY
2020 'My Hypochondria was in Control of my Sex Life' for Salty World
2019 'Ocean Vuong...at the second biannual Asian American Literature Festival' for Literary Hub
2019 'Kundiman Featured by Asian American Press and LitHub' by Kundiman
2018 'Hometown Ghosts' series feature in Surj Magazine
Exhibitions/Education
2025 Mere Happenstance. Group show at Happenstance Cafe. Pittsburgh, PA
2025 Honest Work 5. Group show at MuseumLab. Pittsburgh, PA.
2025 Shadow Work. Group show at Silver Eye Gallery. Pittsburgh, PA.
2025 Facilitated 'Abortion Self-Care Photography' Workshop for University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health and Brew House Arts
2025 Lavender Lux. Group show at Bottlerocket. Pittsburgh, PA.
2024 Prophecies & Soy Sauce Shots. Performance, in collaboration with Caroline Yoo, Davine Byon at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater.
Pittsburgh, PA.
2024 PAAR (Pittsburgh Action Against Rape) Trauma-Informed Care Volunteer Administration Training. Pittsburgh, PA
2024 OAT MILK + HXNY: Diaspora Kaleidoscope. Group show at Brew House Arts. Pittsburgh, PA
2024 Filmmaking and Post-Production Fellowship with the Warhol Academy. Pittsburgh, PA.
2024 Facilitated 'An Introduction to Self-Made, Trauma-Informed Photography' workshop for Venture Outdoors' Leadership Academy.
Pittsburgh, PA.
2024 Envisioning a Just Pittsburgh. Group show at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Pittsburgh, PA.
2023 Facilitated 'An Introduction to Trauma-Informed Photography & Self-Portraiture' workshop with A/PI DVRP. Washington, D.C.
2023 Art As A Voice (AAAV). Group show at the Festival Center. Washington, D.C.
2022 Iké Udé's Three Schools of Photography masterclass mentee. Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Washington, D.C.
2022 Tigress - Lunar Offerings. Group show at Seafoam curated by JADED collective. Pittsburgh, USA.
2021 Subversion. Group show at Kipp Galleries curated by Radiant Hall and Deeper than Grits Studios. Pittsburgh, USA.
2021 Scars, Dimples, and Stretch Marks: The Bodies We Love. Group show at Sanctuary. Pittsburgh, USA.
