Alongside, or within, the process of a creative person’s growth – is another kind of growth, one that is perhaps the kindling for their work throughout their career. It seems like a trope, but it really is the truth; creatives are sensitive beings, with vast inner realities who spend a lifetime being communicated or translated into a language for the world. More and more, we witness the rise of ‘multidisciplinarity’ in the artistic landscape, in which creatives are able to reach out to the world through multiple mediums, each informing their wider vision. Hana Sho is one such artist – who is primarily known as a photographer and filmmaker – for whom, the aforementioned process has been an innate thread in her experience since she was younger. There are not many people who, in high school, were identified by Puma & sent sneakers to conceptualise a series of images; this being one of the first moments, amidst the constraints of the obsolete, traditional schooling system, that Hana realised her creative viewpoint could really begin to mean something in this world. Now, as one of the leading image-makers in the country, with an emphasis on movement (film), Hana is bridging her grunge-infused, underground style with our shifting commercial landscape. South Africa’s stylistic motivations from film, to TV, commercials and across industries is levelling up.
“When I was very little, I wanted to be an animator. I was completely obsessed with drawings, figures and comics – and then I discovered if I could take photos of something, I could tell a story. So I’d take photos, print them – cut them out and make little stories and collages. I was really lucky in that I grew up in a creative household, where that was really encouraged. As I got older, in high school, I used to make these awful videos – really terrible – of my friends for their birthdays. I just loved the idea of having this footage that told a story, that also meant something. Even though I had no idea at 14 that this could be a career – I knew then that this was something I could do that was special and meaningful, and my way of communicating what I see the world.” Hana reflects on her earliest memories of image-making; and tells me that it’s through a camera that she has learned to understand the best, and that there are things people reveal somewhere between her, the camera and themselves; things that they don’t usually display in the everyday movement of their lives. Regarding her skillset, Hana says, “I’m self-taught – endless hours on Youtube, or learning how a camera works. I can thank the internet for the kind of information that I needed to get better. I became very interested in portraiture. I’m quite a sensitive person, and I need quite a lot to understand someone – and portraits have given me a really beautiful way to see or read people. As intuitive as I think I am, a lot of my photography is really just that process of fascination with people and the world.”
Hana credits her formative years to legendary Cape Town teacher – Andrew Putter. My eldest brother was one of his students when he taught design at Rondebosch Boys High School, and who is held in the highest regard by local creatives who, under Andrew’s guidance and tutelage, have gone on to amass incredible careers. Andrew’s extramural space, Putter School, remains an intrinsic hub for continuing to seed the dreams of creatives from as early on as possible. Hana explains, “In my matric year, I attended Putter School – and it was so, so mind boggling and shaping. It broke every idea I had previously held, and had a huge impact on me. It’s so wild, Andrew must have impacted three generations of creatives.” Now, Hana is established – and she has found immense joy in venturing into the commercial space, having shot for Puma Selects, Rich Mnisi, and a variety of campaigns and editorials. Within commercial spaces, the pursuit of perfection – and conveying almost caricature like ideals through marketing – is a space in which Hana thrives as a kind of antidote; rather, lending her sub-cultural, grunge-esque style to previously modular creative conceptualisation, to this she says, “I like the mundane, and I’m intrigued by small, weird human nuances – things that are off, or not quite right, and mistakes. I like imperfection, and the beauty of that. As I get more and more into the film & advertising space, I’m trying not to lose that sensibility. I always want to be experimental and strange, and those are the roots of where I come from as an artist. I have to remember playfulness, and embracing weirdness and seeing how I can express that in a way that other people connect to. Whatever you can create with what you have is important, the medium just carries a story, which is the most important part.” In a world of strengthening awareness and intelligence among audiences and ‘consumers’, this is a vital quality for Hana to possess; our generations require authenticity, and can spot the illusions a mile away.
Hana has some new work coming out soon – although you’ll have to wait until they’re released, and the quietness she’s had online is a result of bringing these projects into being. Hana explains, “A big thing that I’ve learned is to be patient in the learning process, and sometimes you just want to make things – put them out – and repeat that. The world also demands hyper-productivity and novelty from creatives, but the last year has taught me to reflect – and possibly to integrate – rather than being so fast in what I do. There’s such importance in being patient, and taking in & learning. We don’t have to be reaching for the next thing, and the solid building blocks will be the foundation.”
Hana Sho is a tender being – and conversations like this, with the energy of contemplation and gentleness, are poignant reminders of the deep voices behind some of the country’s most beloved artists. Keep Hana’s work on your radar – it’s most certainly only the beginning.
