Hanie Soltani: Staying Present – Jackson’s Art Blog

August 6, 2026

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Hanie Soltani won the Drawing Runner Up Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with her work Eyes Wide Open. In this interview, she discusses making work that explores her connection to the emotions and inner worlds of women as witnesses, the experience of being both present and in shock, and her process of preparing paper with colour and texture before painting.

Above image: Hanie in her studio

Josephine: Could you share the story of how you became an artist and tell us more about your artistic background?

Hanie: I originally studied a different field in the sciences for my bachelor’s, but painting and making art were always my real passion. Despite some opposition at the time, I decided to take the risk, start over, and study painting from the beginning. It was bold and one of the most important decisions of my life.

Josephine: What does a typical working day in the studio look like for you? Do you have any important routines or rituals?

Hanie: I usually arrive around 11 am. I don’t like working early in the morning, but I work for about eight hours a day, sometimes longer, six days a week. One day a week I teach, and while I work I often listen to podcasts or music.

Josephine: Which materials or tools could you not live without?

Hanie: Hard to decide, I guess oil paint. Even in difficult situations when I could not work in my studio, oil paint remained the medium that felt most natural and accessible to me.

Josephine: Do you work from a reference? Tell us more about your process.

Hanie: I always begin with references and preliminary sketches. Inspiration comes from personal experiences, art history, photography, live models, and sometimes collage. As the painting develops, my emotions and intuition guide the colours, composition, and final changes.

Josephine: Do you regularly draw or keep a sketchbook? If so, how does this inform your work?

Hanie: I do not use a sketchbook much, but I draw constantly, and drawing has greatly strengthened my observation and confidence as a painter.

Josephine: Have you ever had a period of stagnation in creativity? If so, what helped you overcome it?

Hanie: Yes, especially over the past year. There were times when I couldn’t imagine the future, which made it difficult to think freely, experiment, and create in general. At the same time, I felt that it was too fragile and limited, so I must work harder and use every single hour in front of me. Because of this, I think I’ve allowed myself to take more risks in many aspects.

Josephine: Are there any specific artists or mentors who have inspired you?

Hanie: Many master artists have influenced me. I would say Manet, Degas, Uglow, Gauguin, López García, and Colville. And from contemporaries, definitely Zoey Frank, Vincent Desiderio, and Ruprecht Von Kaufman have been especially important.

Josephine: What were you thinking about or exploring at the time you made Eyes Wide Open? What inspired it, and how did it come to be?

Hanie: This drawing began as a study for a larger painting. At the time, I was focused on painting women because I felt a stronger connection to their emotions and inner worlds. That connection has become an important part of my work. This work captures a moment of witnessing everything, the aftermath of experiencing various events, a feeling that is difficult to explain, where you are both present and in shock.

Josephine: What made you submit this piece to Jackson’s Art Prize?

Hanie: I had followed the Jackson’s Art Prize for several years and always wanted to apply. Even though this year was personally very difficult, I decided to take the chance and submit my work.

Josephine: You work across a range of mediums – what drew you to pencil for this piece? How does your choice of medium influence the way you approach a work, and what makes pencil the right choice over something like oil or gouache?

Hanie: Many of my drawings begin as studies for larger paintings, but sometimes the drawing becomes a finished work on its own. This piece is one of those. I started it as a study, completed it, and a few months later returned to it as the inspiration for a painting as well.

Josephine: I noticed that the final image includes the edge of the paper rather than cropping into the drawing. Similarly, the figure stops at the woman’s waist, while the suggestion of her form continues beyond it. Could you talk us through these choices and the role that the surrounding blank space plays within the piece?

Hanie: Yeah, I also tone many of my papers myself by adding colour and texture to make them stronger and as part of the work itself. During the drying process, the way the paper is pressed creates unique patterns and spaces, so every sheet has its own character and becomes part of the artwork.

Josephine: Are there any new techniques or ideas you’re excited to explore using the materials from your prize?

Hanie: I’m very excited to start a new series of drawings and explore some new experiments with pencil colour. I think the materials from this prize will encourage me to finally begin a project I have been waiting for the right time to start.

Josephine: How did it feel to move through the stages of the competition and win the Drawing Runner Up Award?

Hanie: Winning the prize was a very impressive moment for me. At that time, the internet in my country was shut down, and there was war. I could only connect once or twice a week hardly, and when I finally checked my email and saw the news, I was really impressed and happy. It felt like a small light of hope during a very dark period.

Josephine: What’s coming up next for you?

Hanie: I don’t have a clear image of the future at the moment, but what I hope for most is to work in a more stable and peaceful environment. Making paintings is what I truly want to do, and I hope to have the space and time to continue developing my new works and other projects I have in mind.

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