About Hannah Ranger

Natural textile and found objects inspire the creation of 2D and 3D forms that give us a sense of home and belonging. I use my connection to the environment, and the raw materials themselves, to guide my practice. I look to the language of matter, the landscape and the natural and built world to motivate my metaphoric designs. Looking through an anthropological lens, a fascination with textile traditions from around the world, ancient and contemporary, also underlie my inspiration.

The incorporation of diverse fibers has a major influence on the direction of my work. At the root of my technique, I use raw wool for its capacity to be sculpted and fused to other fibers and objects using the felting process. In fiber migration, the fibers respond, based on their own nature, to movement and tension, and bond to each other forming lines, textures and structures reflecting natural phenomena that occurs on many levels of experience. The process of fiber migration represents common tendencies of fusion, form and capacity present in fields such as biology, technology and sociology. The fusion of each type of fiber, offers a variation of its own subtle, visual language depicting the interactions that bring chaotic elements into cohesive form.

Merging craft, fine art and design into visceral works, I use fibers to invoke a natural, basic sensibility of connection and awareness, shaped by relationship, memory, place and space.