about

Dannah Mari Hidalgo (1994.) is a Filipina-American artist based out of California, and Oahu, Hawai‘i where she was born and raised. Hidalgo obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting) and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 2019. Hidalgo has also attended the Lorenzo de’ Medici Institute in Florence, Italy in 2015 and in 2016. Hidalgo recently received her MFA in Studio Art from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2024.

 With the use of paint, Hidalgo attempts to capture the nuanced experiences of the ever-evolving individual in relation to varying connections and relationships. The simultaneous depiction of images on one surface creates a visual experience that strongly encourages the viewer to evaluate both -recognizing an image in the context of another. The concept of double image reinforces dichotomous relationships: abstract and representational, seriousness and humor, depth and flatness, and resolve and tension. Since relocating to Santa Barbara from Hawaii, Hidalgo’s fixations expectantly revolved around her family and home, examining the inclination and consequences of hoarding, specifically within Asian American and immigrant households. Currently, Hidalgo’s work looks to explore unapologetic femme exudation in the unsettling and direct, rooted in personal experiences and lore.

An emerging artist from Hawai’i, Hidalgo has participated in group shows in Hawai’i with the Association of Hawai’i Artists, at Kailua Gallery, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, the Honolulu Museum of Art School, and has exhibited at Hawai’i Pacific University. Since relocation to California, Hidalgo has exhibited at California State University Long Beach and Channel Islands, the University of California, Santa Barbara, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, the Art, Design & Architecture Museum in Santa Barbara, and Project Art Space in Los Angeles.

Hidalgo’s hometown is Wahiawā, Hawai‘i and is a proud public school graduate of Leilehua High School.

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