Collection: Han(a) Clayton

Hailing from so-called “Hamilton Ontario,” Han(a) Clayton (they/them) is a recent OCADU Drawing and Painting graduate. Based in Tkaranto or so-called “Toronto,” their practice fuses external and internal worlds to birth portals into other (queerer) dimensions. Primarily a painter (and an occasional video maker), Clayton is inspired heavily by performance art, the occult, and childhood fables. Largely autobiographical, Clayton’s work comes from a place of intuition and play to document the small intimate moments that become rituals in their daily life. 

Through a vigorous process of laying down paint and scraping it away until shapes and forms begin to emerge, they work almost sculpturally to create an open-ended dialogue with their pieces. This back and forth is how the otherworldly creatures that consume their works are brought into being. Taking us from one world into another, these creatures are representative of what it means to be within and without a body; both peculiar and magical. 

Han(a) Clayton is a fan of all things messy and whimsical. Clayton’s practice is an exploration of queer connection, longing, and what it means to be within and without a body. Currently, they spend most of their time researching 90s zine culture and oversharing on the internet. Using the thought that personal = political Clayton’s work is an investigation into queer world-building and the endless possibilities that exist when we embrace our inner child.