Monica Haak was born in Chicago, IL in 1983. She received a BA in philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA and after eleven years in New York returned recently to Chicago.
Artist Statement:
My paintings are manifestations of the mundane beauty of the overgrown outskirts of the city and the specific solitude they provide. These pockets of nature are bordered by and defined against their urban surroundings but are peacefully abandoned. I try to depict these places where, despite a stoic stillness, one can sense the light and atmosphere constantly shifting. They feel to me like a refuge where time slows down enough for me to absorb the richness of subtlety in my environment.