I paint the daily surroundings that normally go unnoticed—a glimpse of pavement, the pattern on a drainage grate, the weeds peeking through the crack in the sidewalk. While my work has often incorporated the textures of the cityscape, living in Appalachia has brought green back into my work. Weeds are a powerful symbol - of resilience, and of nature on its own terms. There is no official definition of a weed. It is a plant like any other, but one that is unwanted simply by virtue of existing on the wrong side of the border.

My paintings are at once rooted in the unique experiences of my own life, and in conversation with the larger history of American painting. If you’re an art nerd like me, you may notice some cheeky nods to our painting forefathers; Agnes Martin, Franz Kline, Barnett Newman. I make every mark by hand, without shortcuts. This practice is one part meditation, one part Yankee work ethic.

— Hannah Cole