10 Questions with Hannah Kori

Dutch-born Hannah Kori (b.1978) is a conceptual artist known for her unconventional approach to mixing traditional painting with digital art forms. Her artistic practice blends abstract painting, AI diffusion tools, and audience-interactive installations to explore and challenge societal perceptions. By using multiple mediums—hand-painted canvases, AI-generated images, and fine art prints customized with paint—she blurs the lines between the real and the unreal.

The audience's involvement in reshaping her work serves as a metaphor for societal influence, making them an integral part of her creative process. Her work is about personal vulnerabilities and their intersection with technology, and it raises the haunting thought of artificial consciousness and it'sits ability to extend meaning.

verykori.com | @very_kori

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My work is deeply rooted in the concept of estrangement, a theme I've explored for nine years through research at the VU Hospital for Mental Health in Amsterdam and personal family experiences.

Through a mainly abstract approach, I blend color, texture, and form to create immersive experiences that evoke emotion and invite introspection. By integrating traditional mediums with innovative technologies, I transform viewers from passive observers into active participants, sparking conversations about art, society, and our shared human experiences.

I aim to unravel the heritage, social stigmas, and impact of estrangement on relationships, using art as a means to understand and challenge these complexities. I blur the boundaries between reality and illusion, reflecting the diversity of perspectives in society. Seeking a balance between my own worldview and others' interpretations, I use AI as an additional lens to reinterpret our collective experiences.

This process serves as a metaphor for my ongoing exploration of my relationship to art, constantly questioning my artistic process and the mediums I work with. It enables me to continuously question and challenge my personal relationship with the topic of estrangement, specifically by involving the audience and their contribution as being part of my artistic process.”

— Hannah Kori

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. How did your journey as an artist begin, and what led you to this path?

I wouldn't say I was a "born artist"—I wasn't the child who stood out in school withdrawing or crafts. But I always carrieda passion for art, culture, and creation within me, even if I suppressed it for a long time. Funny enough, when it came time to choose a high school, my mother suggested an arts-focused school. While I loved the creative atmosphere, I found it overwhelming and ultimately chose a more traditional path.
It wasn't until 2008 that I pursued art education, enrolling in the Fine Arts Program at MK24 in Amsterdam. There, I explored various mediums—painting, ceramics, and even documentary-making—which shaped my appreciation for multi-disciplinary approaches. However, it was only after moving to Berlin in 2015 that my painting practice truly took off. Immersed in Berlin's rich cultural scene, I approached Retramp Gallery with my portfolio and was unexpectedly offered a solo exhibition.
Since then, I've had annual shows with Retramp Gallery, and I'm deeply grateful for the early support they provided. That experience marked a turning point, transforming my creative pursuit into a committed artistic journey.

Why did you choose painting over other mediums? What does this medium represent for you?

I'm drawn to the physical labor of painting—the process of mixing colors, the sound of brushstrokes, and how texture shapes the composition. The unpredictability of action painting inspires me deeply; you can't control how the paint lands—you surrender to the process. That sense of letting go defines my approach. I rarely sketch beforehand; instead, I let the painting emerge naturally.
While I experiment with other mediums like digital art and AI, painting remains my preferred final output due to its tactile and intimate nature. Influential female action painters such as Helen Frankenthaler and Joan Mitchell inspire this ongoingexploration.

Speaking of your work, can you describe your creative process when starting a new artwork

My creative process is rooted in introspection and thoughtful exploration. Since my work is highly conceptual, I begin by reflecting on new steps that build on previous practices. Creating feels like expressing something deep inside me that words cannot capture. To access this, I need solitude—a state that doesn't come naturally to me but becomes essential in my studio.
I spend a lot of time thinking about each artwork—its meaning, composition, and how best to convey its story. Music plays a crucial role; Radiohead's Kid A has been my constant companion. Paintings develop over time through shorter sessions, allowing ideas to unfold and evolve organically.

You often blend traditional mediums with innovative technologies like AI. How do these different tools interact in your creative process?

The mediums I use act as metaphorical lenses, offering different ways of interpreting reality. I find technology both fascinating and ethically complex. Incorporating AI allows me to explore its potential while taking responsibility for how it is shaped. AI databases often reflect conventional societal norms, so I feed the system prompts inspired by my Estrangement theme to push its boundaries toward more progressive representations.

In your artist statement, you mention using AI as a lens to reinterpret collective experiences. Can you elaborate on how AI has influenced your recent projects?

I use image-to-image generative AI by submitting my original paintings as inputs. The AI-generated output becomes either inspiration for new works or a digitally enhanced piece that I further develop with hand-painted details, blending tradition with technology.
The process interests me most when I can steer it intentionally. I set custom prompts connected to my Estrangement theme, using keywords like "exclusion," "solitude," or "torn apart." These outputs often visualize emotions I find hard to articulate and reenter my creative process as conceptual starting points or layers within my paintings.

Crossroads, Archival print customized with Acrylic, 140×140 cm, 2024 © Hannah Kori

Your work is deeply rooted in the concept of estrangement. What inspired you to focus on this theme, and how does it influence your work?

The theme of estrangement stems from my personal experience—my family estranged me ten years ago, and we haven't been in contact since. While this caused significant emotional trauma, it also became an unexpected source of personal growth, allowing me to rebuild a more autonomous and fulfilling life. Nonetheless, the situation remains painful, and for many years, I felt an incredible sense of shame about it.
To understand this complex experience, I researched generational trauma, scapegoating, and societal norms rooted in religion and culture. My work blends personal emotion with conceptual research, aiming not only to express but also to challenge societal narratives and reshape collective perceptions.

Your art seeks to transform viewers from passive observers into active participants. How do you achieve this, and why is audience interaction important to your work?

Audience interaction is central to my artistic process because it mirrors the complexities of human connection. In this years' project, Fragmented Realities, I invite viewers to engage directly by tearing or cutting canvases, symbolizing emotional fragmentation. These fragments are scanned and interpreted through generative AI, creating evolving digital artworks.
This interplay between physical and digital transformation reflects how estrangement reshapes identity. By involving the audience in this cycle, I transform them from passive observers into co-creators, making the concept of estrangement bothpersonal and collective.

Color, texture, and form play a significant role in your work. What emotions or messages do you hope these elements convey to your audience?

I strive to balance conceptual depth with aesthetic appeal. While color, light, texture, and form are essential storytelling tools, they also challenge me technically. I continuously push myself to refine these elements, seeking compositions that resonate emotionally while maintaining a strong visual impact.
Though audiences often praise my use of color, I see myself as constantly evolving in this area. I draw inspiration from various artistic disciplines—currently, I'm captivated by the extraordinary work of Tsu-Teh Chun, whose mastery of form and color profoundly influences my creative process.

Faces of Estrangement No.5, Archival print on Dibond (Alu 3mm), 80×100 cm, 2024 © Hannah Kori

Unspoken Distance, Archival print customized with Acrylic, 50×80 cm, 2024 © Hannah Kori

Looking forward, what new themes, technologies, or mediums are you excited to explore in your upcoming projects?

I plan to continue my Estrangement series, moving from abstraction toward a more figurative approach. Early in my career, I focused on figurative work but gradually shifted to abstraction. Now, I'm interested in blending the two, using the depth and freedom of abstraction to inform my figurative explorations.
On the technological front, I'm currently experimenting with generative voice AI. I'm exploring how self-prompted voice AI can morph input images into 4D live visuals.

And lastly, what are you working on right now, and what can we expect to see next from you?

I'm currently focused on my new series, "Faces of Estrangement," where figurative work takes center stage. This shift is accompanied by a deeper exploration of oil painting, gradually replacing my use of acrylic. Alongside this, I'mdeveloping real-time generative video content that interacts with my paintings, creating a dynamic exchange between the physical and the digital, with audience participation playing a key role.
Recently, I've begun a new area of research within my Estrangement series, focusing on the cultural influence of religion. Over the past months, I've been documenting interesting icons and symbols discovered during my visits to various churches. This growing archive excites me, and I look forward to further conceptualizing and integrating these findings into my artistic practice.
I'm also thrilled to be collaborating with Only Female Artists by Rademakers Gallery, with hopes of joining future group shows and international art fairs. Looking ahead, I aspire to secure an institutional show—one of my creative dreams.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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