Hassell career began with and deeply originates from working intensively as part of an avant-guard, above-ground collective of young Guatemalan-post the 30 years Civil war- artists called Los Bizarros. The group was made up of multitalented poets, aspiring film makers, street artists, painters, sculptors, writers, dancers and musicians; many of whom would change the country’s arts radically and profoundly; changes that have brought the group to international attention and which have endured ever since. The group formed one of the first cultural initiatives in 1996 Guatemala City, breaking ground for the hundreds of events, venues, galleries and artists that took the lead in the years to come. Each of the original 12 of the group, including Hassell, now hold high national social artistic achievements and international recognition for their work as individuals.
Hassell’s own work has ranged from street performances, organizing performances, café events, exhibitions, workshops, teaching sculpture to both adults and children, working with film company Casa Comal, theatre groups, medical clinics (HLM), private collectors and contemporary art galleries.
The artist has co-founded artist’s residencies and projects such as La Casa Bizarra 1996- 98 with, to name a few, Jose Osorio, Giovanni Pinzon, Simon Pedrosa, Josue Aguilar, Pancho Toralla, Pedro Antillion, Pablo Robledo, Shayla Du Ploy. As Creative Director and founder, Hassell initiated Space 0-27 - 2001-03, working with 15 artists including Anibal Lopez A – 153167 Young Artists Award, 1996 Venice Biennial which was represented by Prometeo Gallery , Italy. At SPACE 0-27, Lopez completed his 2002 series “Se Vende”, “Se Alquila”, “Se Presta”, “Se Regala”, “Este Texto no Tiene Ningun Significado”
Hassell began exhibiting her work in 2001 with Aida Aguilar, Libelula Gallery (formerly El Gavroche) and was interviewed on her first series of work “War for Love” 2001/2002 by Igal Permuth, producer of the weekly televised program “El Vagon” Chanel 7, Guatemala City. Introduced by Lopez to Victor Martinez, director of Guatemala’s most prestigious contemporary galleries, Sol del Rio 2003, the artist showed “Passion II” at the Intercontinental Hotel in Guatemala, Sol Del Rio Arte Contemporanea , Guatemala.
She has shown in more than 24 collective exhibitions and 5 solo shows, two of which she promoted and organized herself, in warehouse type spaces to fit her large bodies of work: “The personal Diary of Emily Hassell” 2003, consisting of large scale drawings, and sculptures, assisted by Jose Osorio, Caja Ludica at Correos; and “Tides” 2008, at Basilica Industria, Hudson, New York funded through art patronage.
Upon returning to the US 2006, Hassell formed Gallery 345, 2007-09 with the group, the Experimental Artists’ Collective, Hudson, New York. The artist worked as an artist in residence grant with Hudson River Art Projects assisted with private patronage resources in Hudson NY in 2009. A catlogue of her performance installation work on 1050 Degrees is published by Cherry Alley workshop under the Studio direction of Peter Barton, artist and ex Executive Director of Architecture Omi at the International Arts Center. She is presently represented by Gallery 135, and Wendy McDaris Consulting. She has recently held an an exhibit in an ephemeral space through the Robert Pardo Gallery .
Autodidact
Individual Exhibitions
2011 " Nadismo" Robert Pardo Gallery at Cedar Park, Hudson NY
2009 "Blood" Studio 444, Hudson River Art Projects, Hudson NY
2008 "Tides" Basilica Industria, Hudson NY
2004 "Payasos y Ladrones" Canton Exposition, G&T Continental Bank, C.A
2003 "Diary" Metropolitan Cultural Center, Guatemala curated by Jose Osorio
2002 "Guerra por Amor" Gavroche, Guatemala curated by Aida Aguilar
Collective Exhibitions
2008 October "Waves on Windows" curated by Gregory Kepinski
2008 Ongoing Studio 345 Artists Collective, Hudson NY
2007 November Gallery 345 Experimental Artists Collective, Hudson NY
2007 October Gallery 345 Experimental Artists Collective, Hudson NY
2007 September Experimental Artists Collective, Hudson NY
2007 Arts Walk, Hudson NY
2007 La Puerta Roja, Guatemala, Central America
2006 La Puerta Roja, Guatemala, Central America
2005 Metropolitan Cultural Center, Guatemala,Central America Curated by Jose Osorio
2005 Museo Ixchel, Guatemala,C.A. Curated by
2005 Sol del Rio, cuarated by Victor Martinez, Guatemala, Central America
2004 Red Mills, Merchant and Ivory Foundation, NY
2004 Sol del Rio, Victor Martinez, Guatemala, Central America
2003 Hipersensitivity, 0-27 Guatemala., Central America
2002 Coloquia, Guatemala, Central America
2001 0-27 Guatemala Central America
2001 Imagica, Antigua, Guatemala, Central America.
2001 Semana Bizarra, Guatemala, Central America
1998 Casa Bizarra, Guatemala, Central America.
1997 Casa Bizarra, Guatemala, Central America.
1996 Casa Bizarra, Guatemala, Central America
1995 Arts Walk, Hudson, NY
Private Collections and Commissions
England, Brussels, Australia, Guatemala, USA, Canada, Ireland
Awards
2004 Henriette Reiss Award
Workshops
2005/06 HLM, Antigua,Guatemala
2003/04 Casa Comal, Guatemala
Televisión
2007 Guatevision HLM interview on Equine Therapy HLM
2004 Guatevision EL Vagon, interview with Igal Permuth on exhibition “War for Love”
2003 Guatevision El Vagon, Igal Permuth on other works
Bibliography
2006 La Cuerda, Lucia Escobar
Certifications
1994 CNA ,NY
1993 Special Education Introductory Course Year, UK
2007 Equine Assisted Therapy Pre -Course Introduction, Epona Method
APRENTICESHIPS
1992-94 Hugh Baker, Sculptor, UK
1992-94 Anna Smith, Theatre, UK
1998 Larry Stirling, Sculptor Guatemala/USA
