Hana Tan (b. 1995, Sabah, Malaysia) is a figurative painter whose work explores the intersections of memory, performance, and cultural hybridity. Born in Sabah and now based in Klang, Selangor, Hana graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Art from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her practice is shaped by her experience as an indigenous artist navigating displacement—both geographic and cultural—after relocating from East to West Malaysia.
Rooted in personal history, Hana’s paintings draw from childhood memories, domestic interiors, and the theatrical rituals of early life. Her mother, once a defining figure in her preparations for competitions and stage performances, would dress her in tulle skirts, lantern-sleeved dresses, and crimson lipstick—gestures that fused play, identity, and presentation. These echoes of performance resurface in Hana’s visual language, which often stages her figures within dreamlike interiors ornamented with thrifted objects—lace curtains, vintage tea sets, silky nightgowns, and patterned rugs. These are not mere props, but symbolic extensions of cultural fusion and memory.
Central to her work is the depiction of female domesticity, where everyday moments are saturated with coded references—traditional Sabahan jewelry, heirloom textiles, and gestures of care. Her compositions blend flattened planes, vibrant colour palettes, and theatrical framing, creating spaces that are simultaneously intimate and heightened. By doing so, Hana constructs imagined environments that honour her heritage while engaging with the complexity of cultural duality in contemporary Malaysia.
Her work reflects a broader inquiry into identity formation—how the past is carried forward, adapted, or performed. Through ornamentation and narrative, she invites viewers to reflect on belonging, tradition, and the evolving shape of personal and collective memory.