Hana Alfikih or well known as Hana Madness is a visual artist based in Jakarta, Indonesia. She spent her childhood in a difficult environment which was not supportive to artistic development, and it was during her high school years that she found if art can be cathartic, helping her to maintain sanity amidst her psychological crisis.
In 2012 was her first step in voicing mental health issues in various media in Indonesia based on her life experiences as a mentally disabled person by using art as a means to increase public awareness of mental health issue and the things that surround it.
Most of Hana’s artworks represent her mental health disabilities, ones which would eventually become her main inspirations and challenging sources. She never thought that art could take her this far, breaking down the stigma and discrimination that she had previously experienced, expanding her practices to an international level and being a professional artist without hiding her identity as a disabled.
She has been working and collaborating with various people from diverse backgrounds, both in the context of disability and non-disability nationally and internationally, including with famous brands and big companies as well as with groups including health professionals until vunerable young and adults to challenge how mental health is treated, understood, and experienced.
She was nominated as “Top 10 Most Shinning Young Indonesian Artists” in 2017 by Detik.com. As “1 of 90 Young Indonesians with Inspiring Works and Thoughts” in 2018 by Opini.id. As a “Millenial Hero” for arts and culture in 2019 by Sindonews. As “10 Women of The Year” in 2019 by Her World Magazine. Also as “11 Inspiring Figures” by Tatler Asia.
“I have billions of emotional turmoils that I can never understand up-til now. They have been living and sticking into my self. Most of the artworks that I create are interpretations of my mental condition and they describe every beautiful conflict inside me that I turn into something beautiful and colorful.”
-Hana Madness