MacKenna Hanson is a Chicago-based artist currently on track to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2025 from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Born in 2003 in Jacksonville, FL, she’s lived in Georgia, North Carolina, and Stockholm, Sweden.

As a neurodivergent woman, Hanson uses her art to delve deep into contradictions of identity and the invisible holes in the social fabric she navigates every day. She’s a triplet sister, a pop culture enthusiast, and an enjoyer of fun. 

Hanson was assigned to SAIC’s 2023 Dean’s List for Outstanding Sophomores and recently admitted into the School’s 2024-2025 Advanced Painting Program. As founder of the artist collective Salon des Refusés, she works closely with friends and fellow artists Katharine Oltrogge and Drew Swartz.

Hanson has won two Honorable Mentions from the Scholastics Art Awards and an Honorable Mention from the United States Congressional Art Competition. She also received merit scholarships from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Maine College of Art, Cornish College of Art, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was granted entry into SAIC’s Art Bash of 2022 and had two of her works exhibited in the LeRoy Neiman Center. 

Her work is currently represented by 310 Art in Asheville, North Carolina as well as several private collections.