S T A T E M E N T

My work is deeply rooted in the struggle of coping with childhood trauma. I grew up embedded in adversity that has continuously shaped the way I navigate life. Abusive parentification, hoarding, and violence have been a constant source of anxiety manifesting as maladaptive coping mechanisms. The resulting shame of my upbringing has woven itself into many facets of my life and impacts how I handle vulnerability, how I measure my own worth, and how I interpret relationships.

In response, my work is a physical embodiment of perseverance and survival. The struggle with and ultimate acceptance of the conditions I was subjected to during my formative years directly informs my creative process. It is a balancing act of acceptance and protection; a constant agonizing over what may or may not be too taboo to disclose. I create forms that hold remnants of these experiences with the intent of creating a space for them to unashamedly exist. 

My work shows that healing from trauma is never straightforward. Instead, it is multi-faceted; it is composed of layers of enmeshment and entanglement that need to be meticulously undone. My work is an act of resistance with a longing for detachment and protection achieved by confronting my convoluted familial patterns of childhood abuse. My work seeks to expose and create a space where these unspoken stories can be shared without fear. I acknowledge the resiliency needed to survive as a method of reclamation. By candidly expressing my struggles and analyzing my history from a safe place, I bring narratives out of secrecy, I create to dissolve shame, and I cultivate a sense of resiliency, growth, and survival.

B I O

Chrissy Hanula primarily works in ceramics, a versatile medium that allows her to sculpt intricate, biomorphic forms. Hanula's forms are often infected by degenerative textures, alluding to the detrimental effects of surviving childhood trauma. Through her work, Hanula acknowledges the push and pull of navigating intensely shameful, traumatizing events and the merciless entanglement of abusive familial patterns. Her forms are an embodiment of perseverance, resiliency, and survival, with each piece having an intent of dissolving shame and cultivating a space for adverse narratives to unashamedly exist.

Hanula has primarily been working in ceramics since 2013 and is currently based in Southern California. Hanula embarked on her artistic journey by studying at the University of Illinois Springfield. She then received her BFA from Missouri State University in 2023 and is currently pursuing her MFA at California State University San Bernardino (CSUSB). She has taught ceramics and sculpture at private studios throughout the Midwest, she was a resident artist at the Tainan National University of the Arts in Tainan, Taiwan in 2024, and she is currently a Teaching Associate and Ceramics Technician at CSUSB.