Gracie Hagen is a Chicago-based artist whose multidisciplinary practice spans photography, fibers, performance, and mixed media. Hagen’s practice investigates the intersections of identity, perception, and the human experience, focusing on themes of fantasy versus reality, individual versus collective, and the multitudes within the self.

Hagen’s projects engage with a range of conceptual frameworks. Her viral series Illusions of the Body (2013-2014) critiques unrealistic body standards, using simple poses and lighting to reveal how perception shapes beauty ideals. In Beauty in Chaos (2017), Hagen incorporated glitching techniques to manipulate photographic images, revealing their fragility and transformative potential. Her ongoing series Who Are We. (2019-Present) prioritizes extensive interviews with subjects, centering lived experiences to create deeply personal and collaborative portraits.

Recent works like Colored by Today (2022-2023) expand her practice into fibers, sound, and personal archives, exploring themes of memory, language, and systemic influence.

Hagen earned a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2024, following years as a self-taught photographer. Her work has been exhibited internationally and featured in publications such as The Huffington Post and The Daily Mail. Her practice remains an ongoing exploration of human complexity, inviting audiences to engage with nuanced dialogues about existence, identity, and transformation.