<p>She opens up her archive to <em>L&rsquo;OFFICIEL</em> and discusses&nbsp;spotlighting marginalized artists in <span class="Apple-converted-space">her eponymous New York venue.</span></p>

<div aria-setsize="-1" class="c-virtual_list__item" role="listitem" id="message-list_1744405934.728329" data-qa="virtual-list-item" data-item-key="1744405934.728329" tabindex="0">
<div role="presentation" class="c-message_kit__background c-message_kit__background--hovered p-message_pane_message__message c-message_kit__message" data-qa="message_container" data-qa-unprocessed="false" data-qa-placeholder="false">
<div role="document" aria-roledescription="message" class="c-message_kit__hover c-message_kit__hover--hovered" data-qa-hover="true">
<div class="c-message_kit__actions c-message_kit__actions--above">
<div class="c-message_kit__gutter">
<div role="presentation" class="c-message_kit__gutter__right" data-qa="message_content">
<div class="c-message_kit__blocks c-message_kit__blocks--rich_text">
<div class="c-message__message_blocks c-message__message_blocks--rich_text" data-qa="message-text">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer" data-qa="block-kit-renderer">
<div class="p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper p-block_kit_renderer__block_wrapper--first">
<div class="p-rich_text_block" dir="auto">
<div class="p-rich_text_section">Hannah Traore was destined to enter the creative space. It was <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/art">art</a>&nbsp;that brought the gallerist&rsquo;s parents together: After traveling around West Africa, her Canadian mother was selling artwork in Toronto, when she met Traore&rsquo;s Malian father through a mutual art-dealer friend.<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;"> &ldquo;Our house was filled with art from my dad&rsquo;s country, so it was a big part of my upbringing,&rdquo; says Traore, 30. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always loved being surrounded by those pieces and that part of my history. At the same time, I was raised going to museums and taking art classes, and my grandmother was a painter with an incredible collection of her own. So before I could talk, I really was seeing and making art.&rdquo;</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>

Installation view of Hassan Hajjaj: 'People of My Time' at Hannah Traore Gallery, photo by Evan Hunter McKnight.

<p>Despite an early appreciation for <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/art">art</a>&mdash;and a childhood &ldquo;obsession&rdquo; with Degas&rsquo;s &ldquo;Little Dancer&rdquo; sculptures, in particular&mdash;Traore didn&rsquo;t see it as a career. &ldquo;My preschool report card said I wanted to be a Spice Girl, a mother, and a teacher,&rdquo; she laughs. Ultimately, Traore opted to study art history at Skidmore College, where she curated an exhibition on African and Black art at the Tang Teaching Museum for her senior thesis.</p>
<p>Following a yearlong internship at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), she opened the <a href="https://hannahtraoregallery.com/">Hannah Traore Gallery</a> in 2022 on <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/nyc">New York</a>&rsquo;s Lower East Side. Its mission? To showcase the work of underrepresented <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/artists">artists</a>. &ldquo;I wanted them to be seen for their actual art, instead of being tokenized because of their identity,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I felt there was a sense of community missing in the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/gallery">gallery</a> space. I still see elitism in the art world, but I&rsquo;m doing this for me and my people. The old guard&mdash;that&rsquo;s not my center.&rdquo;</p>

Installation view of Shihori Yamamoto: I Am Here To Love at Hannah Traore Gallery Photo by Evan Hunter McKnight, courtesy of Hannah Traore Gallery.

<p>Traore&rsquo;s already made a name for herself. Her first <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/museum">museum</a> acquisition was a full-circle moment, with artist Misha Japanwala&rsquo;s sculpture acquired by Traore&rsquo;s alma mater. She takes immense pride in every show, buying pieces from her exhibitors, including Japanwala, Camila Falquez, James Perkins, Anya Paintsil, Turiya Adkins, and Hassan Hajjaj. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a beautiful way to show the artists how much I care,&rdquo; says Traore, who&rsquo;s currently featuring a Shihori Yamamoto installation and Jose Duran&rsquo;s paintings in her space. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s so much sameness and oversaturation in the art world. When I see a piece and think, <em>I&rsquo;ve never seen that before</em>, that&rsquo;s what I want for the gallery.&rdquo;</p>

Ceramic sculpture in Traore’s personal collection.

<p>As much as she searches for new artists, Traore hunts for treasures for her personal archive. &ldquo;I know if I want to live with a piece based on how it makes me feel,&rdquo; she says, citing food-themed artwork, an Egon Schiele drawing (inherited from her grandmother), and a Bre Andy painting from Cierra Britton Gallery among her eclectic mix. She also has a vast West African art collection, which includes a ceramic sculpture of a breastfeeding mother that Traore found at an antique market in Mali two years ago. The cherished piece sits in her entryway, right next to a family portrait from her gallery opening. &ldquo;I just adore it,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;I am super-proud to be half Malian, and to have been raised within the Malian culture and among its art. That&rsquo;s why this piece is the first thing you see when you come into my home.&rdquo;</p>
<p><em style="letter-spacing: 0px;">This story appears in the L'OFFICIEL May 2025 issue. Buy it <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/issues/l-officiel-usa-may-2025-ciara-cover">here</a>.</em></p>

Portrait of Hannah Traore by Jacq Harriet. Photo courtesy of Hannah Traore Gallery.

How Gallerist Hannah Traore Celebrates Her Malian Heritage Through Art

How Gallerist Hannah Traore Celebrates Her Malian Heritage Through Art

Tags

Related Articles

Travel & Living

L'LOOKBACK: Jenny Slate Reveals Her Eccentric Personal Archive

Music

Ciara Is in Her Rhythm

Film & TV

L'LOOKBACK: How Jonathan Nolan Freezes Time

Recommended posts for you

Pop culture

Lisa Rinna’s Throwback Photos Are the Ultimate ’90s Moodboard

Fashion

Tyla Pays Homage to Britney Spears with Y2K-Inspired Look at Coachella Weekend 2

Fashion

Blackpink's Lisa Stuns at Coachella 2025 in Futuristic Looks

Fashion

See NYC's Most Exciting Store Openings in 2025

Men's

Ron Dorff’s Newest Collection Brings the Wild West to the Poolside

Pop culture

Jacob Elordi and Olivia Jade's Complete Relationship Timeline

Fashion

Daisy Edgar-Jones Channels '90s Gwyneth Paltrow in a Matching Green Schiaparelli Set

Pop culture

Who Is Miles Caton? Meet the Actor, Singer From Ryan Coogler's 'Sinners'