Artists: Harry Hansen & Olga Yukhno | Columbia, SC
On display in Jones-Carter Gallery
June 21st - August 17th | Tuesday - Saturday | 11am-5pm
About the Exhibition:
Retiring in 2003 upon receipt of his diagnosis, not even a decade-long battle with dementia could keep Harry Hansen from creating new works until his death in 2013. His artistic passion didn’t wane during his later struggle with dementia — though it did change. As his abilities and cognizance ebbed and flowed, so did the nature of his work. Through his loss of self, memory, and ability, he continued to work, documenting the changes to his awareness in an archive of work. Harry Hansen’s wife, Dee Hansen, and her daughter, Susan Hansen, used this archive to found the Immutable Passion Project, which facilitates dialogue about the role that art and creativity play in combating degenerative brain disease. This archive, along with works from earlier periods will be on display at the Jones-Carter Gallery alongside the ceramics, installation, and mixed-media art of Olga Yukhno.
Artist Olga Yukhno has been working for several years on a project focused on Dementia. Instigated by witnessing the heartbreaking decline of a loved one, Olga decided she needed to funnel her grief into a project to help her deepen her understanding of the disease. Her first presentation of this project was an installation for the Cultural Center in Savannah, Georgia, called A Very Long Goodbye. Based on the positive reception, she submitted and presented this specific work to the ArtFields annual competition and festival in Lake City, SC.
