Artist Talk: Hwa-Jeen Na

Join us for an artist talk and conversation with photographer Hwa-Jeen Na, whose work was recently acquired for the Grand Rapids Art Museum’s permanent collection and is on view now in Make a Picture: A Selection of Michigan Photographers from GRAM’s Collection.

Na is a Grand Rapids-based artist whose work covers a broad spectrum of photographic styles from staged, directorial studio work to intimate, snap-shot style photographs while keeping a dedicated focus on portraiture. His series, As Much Heaven as Earth, emerged from the tragic death by suicide of a childhood friend. While grappling with this particular loss, as well as the loss of so many LGBTQ+ young people to suicide, Na began reaching out to the queer community in West Michigan and traveling the country to meet and interview queer artists in the hopes of finding answers. Some of the people he spoke with became subjects for this series, along with their responses to Na’s overarching prompt, ​“why do you choose to stay?” GRAM is proud to have acquired three works from As Much Heaven as Earth. Join us in the Museum’s second floor galleries to view the works and hear directly from the artist about the project and process.

This event is free as part of Meijer Free Thursday Nights.

For more information, contact Associate Curator Jennifer Wcisel at jwcisel@artmuseumgr.org