Hana Almilli is a multimedia artist, textile designer, and poet based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. She graduated from the California College of the Arts in 2019, where she focused on Textiles and Creative Writing. She is currently pursuing her MA in Arts and Cultural Enterprise at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London.
Hana’s research-driven practice explores themes of identity, memory, and cultural transformation through the material language of textiles and assemblages. With roots from Turkey, Syria, Kurdistan, and Saudi heritage, her creative inquiry is deeply informed by questions of belonging and alienation. Her work delves into the concept of Al Ghorba—estrangement in a foreign land—examining how displacement and nostalgia shape personal and cultural identities.
Hana employs techniques such as weaving, dyeing, embroidery, writing, photography, and sound installations to construct her visual narratives. In 2019, she held her first solo exhibition, Sada Kharaet Ghorbati (Echoes of My Alienation), at the Isabelle Percy West Gallery in Oakland, California. That same year, she self-published a poetry collection titled Al Ghorba, further exploring themes of estrangement and longing.
Her work has also been featured in several group exhibitions and art festivals, including Noor Riyadh 2023, SAMOCA: In the Night Exhibition, and other notable showcases.
EDUCATION
2021 - 2022, Masters in Arts and Culture Management, Rome Business School
2014 - 2019, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textiles, Minor in Writing, Architectural Studies, California College of the Arts
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2023, Noor Riyadh, KSA
2023, Saudi Flag Day Commission, AlSafat Square, Riyadh, KSA
2022, Performing Bodies Group Exhibition, Lakum Artspace, Riyadh, KSA
2022, Intermix Residency Showcase, JAX, Riyadh, KSA
2022, Next Wave, Misk Art Institute x Berlin Art Institute, Berlin, Germany
2021, Masaha Residency Showcase, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, KSA
2020 Misk Art Week Virtual Exhibition, Virtual
2019, A Tribe Called Rasa, Private Exhibition, San Francisco, CA, USA
2019, Sada Kharaet Ghorbati, Solo Exhibition, Isabelle Percy West Gallery, Oakland, CA,
USA
2018, NASAD, Group Exhibition, California College of the Arts, Oakland, CA, USA
ART FAIRS
2024, Art Dubai, UAE
SELECTED PRESS
2023, Saudi female artists showcase Saudi craft through history, Arab News
2022, Misk Art Week showcases artists from Saudi Arabia and the international community, Arab News
2022, Hana Almilli: Interweaving nostalgia, culture, and belonging, Kooness, Art Magazine
2022, Intermix art and fashion showcase spotlights transformation and sustainability within the industry, Arab News
2022, Artists to watch '22, Art connect
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2023, Textile Workshops, Islamic Biennale, Jeddah, KSA
2021, Textile Workshops, Misk Art Week, Riyadh, KSA
SELECTED RESIDENCIES
2022, Intermix Residency - Saudi Ministry of Culture x Athr Gallery, Riyadh, KSA
2021, Masaha Residency, Misk Art Institute, Riyadh, KSA
2020-2021, ElBalad Art Residency, Saudi Ministry of Culture x Athr Gallery, Virtual