Alumni Spotlight: Jenn Hassin '21

Jenn Hassin’s '21 work is a labor of love. She collects personal artifacts that have embedded histories of trauma. Once she receives these objects, she has only one rule: to transform them. These materials become wall hangings, installations, and sculptures, thus allowing the matter itself a voice. As part of Project Raha, U.S. and Afghan woman veterans transformed materials tied to memories from their time in service into paper and pulp, including old military uniforms, traditional Afghan clothes, and jeans and sweatshirts worn on C-17s during the evacuation effort. With the belief that we each exist more honestly in our own raw materials, Hassin makes beauty out of these materials to serve others as they endure times of transition. Hassin is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and has been widely exhibited at galleries and institutions such as The Pentagon, the National Veterans Art Museum, The Contemporary Austin, Sotheby's Institute of Art in Manhattan, Blue Star Contemporary, and Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University.

Was there a specific faculty member or peer who especially inspired you while at the School of the Arts? If so, who and how?

I got so much out of several faculty members from Visual Arts. I literally have begun this answer and started over several times now. Jon Kessler has been who I stayed in touch with the most and he continues to be a connection that I cherish. Ralph Lemon, the man is in my head, always. Best studio visits I had were Sarah Sze and Abigail DeVille. They both are fortune tellers of critique land— mind readers maybe. I felt seen and understood by Matthew Buckingham and Sara Vanderbeek. Shelly Silver is seriously awesome at critique. Michael Joo opened up the world of material play for me and I was inspired by his practice. J.J. Peet’s ceramic approach is genius, and he was a great professor to work for/with. Rirkrit Tiravanija encouraged me to just dive into the community engagement & social practice element of my work—figuring out how to make time be the work vs. making objects is still something I’m struggling with, but I’m getting closer. I do love being a maker, so all of these people are in my head, and I revisit my notes often from our time together.

How did attending the School of the Arts impact your work and career as an artist?

I had a studio practice for six years before coming to Columbia’s program. I needed to get away from Texas and my studio because I started to feel stuck. The dedicated experimental time was precious to my career because it is what let me grow. The most important impact though has been my peers and dear friends I made. Watching each other succeed and take steps forward and deeper into the strange world that is art—it’s been so rewarding. We grow together, and I do believe that. 

What were the most pressing social/political issues on the minds of students when you were here? 

Trump was president. The world was crazy. Still is. Then COVID took over. Uh. Trauma, trauma, trauma. 

What was your favorite or most memorable class while at the School of the Arts?

The Visiting Artist Lecture Series was my favorite. We had some incredible visiting artists. Talks that I still think about that I loved: Fred Wilson, Abigail DeVille, Lynda Benglis, Shelly Silver, Jon Kessler, Juliana Huxtable (when Jon asked—What is… a furry?—we all pissed ourselves), Rirkrit Tiravanija (helping him cook was amazing), and to hear from an incredible sculptor who sounded a little country like me, Virginia Overton. There were a few lectures that pissed me off and made me uncomfortable, but I learned from them, too. 

What were the first steps you took after graduating? 

I graduated as part of the lucky class of 2020. I saw the uncertainty as an opportunity to play with my art approach while no one was watching. I landed a pretty cool gig of being the Google Doodle Artist for Veterans Day 2020. I still giggle at the amount of people that urged me to sue Google for stealing my work. 

My family and I chose to move back to Texas where we are from. I knocked out Baby #3, a classic COVID quarantine decision. To be fair, it was always part of the plan to have one more kid and move back. I taught as soon as universities were hiring, but quickly realized that I’m not meant for academia at this time. Every second that I have available, meaning M-F from 7:30 to 3:30 while my kids are at school, I have a job to do—and that is to push and play with my practice. Being an adjunct did not feel worth being out of my studio to me at this time. I also work all hours of the night when my family is asleep because it’s when my creative juices flow.

All this to say, my advice for steps to take after graduating…just keep putting one foot in front of the other. Try to enjoy the stage you are on and know that so many of us leave a successful show feeling like we want more. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

What advice would you give to recent graduates? 

You likely worked hard before you arrived to Columbia’s program. While you are in the program, you push yourself and grow—it’s an exhausting scary time for some. When you leave and enter your practice, that’s likely not going to change. Aim to be kind to yourself and have a mental first aid kit available to yourself at all times. Be vulnerable and remember that rock bottom‘s got a trampoline. 

Photos from Project Raha: