Hilary Hann

I think I was always an artist at heart. I have books full of poetry written in the girlish hand writing of my childhood and accompanying them I have another collection of books with carefully drawn pictures of the creatures I loved; black and white pencil drawings with exotic and improbable movement and action. Every available moment when I wasn’t out ‘doing’, was filled with ‘creating’ and when my adult self took over I let it fill my mind with science and facts and practicalities and all the dreams I had floated away.

My childhood art was coloured by the rich textures of our lives as we moved from my birthplace, Singapore, through the jungles of North Borneo, the mountains and rich vegetation of Uganda to the wild and dusty savannahs of Kenya.

As a professional photographer for many years, it seemed pre ordained that I should rediscover my artistic side through photography rather than with a paint brush, which I had once hoped would realise some of my dreams. My attempts to master watercolours were as doomed to failure as my attempts with oils.  

I have found, however, that with a camera and my digital dark room, I can bring to life much that was in my mind and it has been with great joy that I am slowly finding my place in the artistic world.

I don’t long to document the world, I’ll leave that to those better equipped for that style of photography. My work is the product of passion, love and deep respect for the land and the people of East Africa.  In reality, it is an extension of the spiritual response I have towards African wildlife, its struggle to maintain relevance in a diminishing wilderness and its importance to the lives and history of people the world over.

Inspiration

a spark

a love affair with a memory

a slow burning fire