Papermaking for a Livable Future with Hannah Chalew

Drawing on the history of her South Louisiana landscape, artist Hannah Chalew creates artwork using “plasticane” paper: an amalgamation of bagasse, the waste product of sugarcane production, and shredded disposable plastic waste, the byproduct of fossil fuel extraction. Examining the influences of capitalism and racism on the exploitation of Louisiana’s people and ecologies, including the legacy of forced labor plantations and fossil fuel extraction, burning and refining, Chalew uses “plasticane” to hold the history of how we got to this moment in time and to create visions of a future our descendants might inherit if we do not change course. Hannah describes her artistic practice in traditional drawing and dimensional papermaking as a means towards imagining a different future through art. By using renewable materials from her local ecosystem, Chalew offers an alternate perspective on how we can relate to our world, inviting viewers to rethink how we can break the cycles we are stuck in and imagine a livable future for Louisiana and beyond. This event was recorded live on March 5th, 2024.

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The artistic and educational programs at Dieu Donné are made possible with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council; and Foundation support including: Lily Auchincloss Foundation, Inc., The New York Community Trust, The John Ben Snow Memorial Trust, Jockey Hollow Foundation, IFPDA Foundation, West Bay View Foundation, Windgate Charitable Foundation, and the Wolf Kahn Foundation along with in-kind support from Material for the Arts and major individual support.