Who Are We.

This series is a collaborative and multilayered exploration of identity, perception, and authenticity. It responds to the ways social media has reduced connection to a passive and superficial act. In contrast, Hagen’s process is intentional and reflective, prioritizing genuine interactions and meaningful relationships with her subjects.

The project begins with interviews that inform the themes and visuals of each large-scale portrait, offering Hagen’s interpretation of the subject. To incorporate the subjects’ voices, Hagen creates handcrafted books that serve as vessels for their personal narratives. Subjects personalize these books through drawings, writing, painting, or incorporating objects, transforming them into unique extensions of their identities.

Viewers complete the final layer of perception by engaging with both the portraits and the books, forming their own interpretations. Together, the portraits and books create layered narratives, blending Hagen’s perspective, the subjects’ self-expression, and the viewer’s individual perception into a dynamic interplay of viewpoints.

Hagen’s intentional process stands as a counterpoint to the superficiality of social media, challenging traditional notions of authenticity. By highlighting perception as a multifaceted construct shaped by creator, subject, and viewer, Who Are We. invites audiences to reflect on their role in the cycle of perception and connection, encouraging them to reconsider how they understand themselves and others.