Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Go.
Hi Hannah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in Granada Hills as the youngest member of an all-female household. In true valley girl fashion, I spent my summers loitering at local haunts, soaking up the uniquely small-town energy that the burbs had to offer.
Sometimes, before the age of ten, I was given my first set of hand tools as a gift at my request. My mom was (and still consults as) an aerospace engineer, and I think when I was younger, I may have genuinely thought that she spent her days designing and building space ships. I wanted to make things as great as the spaceships my mom worked on. It’s not a glamorous origin story, but I believe this is where my fascination with furniture and manufacturing stems from.
I went on to pursue a career in product design and currently work at LA-based design studio, Brendan Ravenhill Studio designing lighting fixtures, furniture, and spaces. In addition to my studio practice, I independently create work that focuses on the intersection of local history and the built environment, which is often grounded in my experiences as a mixed-race Asian-American Angelino. The exploration of identity through history and design drives my curiosity.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I struggle a lot with self-doubt, and performance anxiety is a constant in my life. The feeling of feeling lesser than my counterparts seems to be ever-present. I’m your classic over-thinker. All these worries end up impacting your confidence at the end of the day which shows in the work. These are the things that challenge me but are also some of the things that keep the motivational flame lit.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I design furniture, spaces, and artwork at the intersection of local Los Angeles history and its built environment. I’m kind of known for my interpretation of places as pieces of furniture.
Vineland, a side table I designed, was a concept I shaped after Circus Liquor located on Vineland in North Hollywood. That particular location is such an icon of the Valley that I wanted to create an object that captures a bit of its energy. I recently found out that Circus Liquor was also the first place my mom and dad drove to after they got married, where they both bought diet cokes and went about their merry way.
Another piece I’m really proud of is the Cascades Chair. The Los Angeles Aqueduct-Cascades in Sylmar is another local landmark, it kind of looks like a giant water slide. I would pass the Cascades on my way to Bakersfield every other weekend for the first 15 years of my life, en route to stay with my father who had shared custody of my sisters and me. Every time I drove by the Cascades when I was a kid, I would get excited about a weekend with my dad and sad about a weekend apart from my mom. Fast forward another fifteen years and we have the Cascades Chair. It’s kind of a confusing-looking chair, but that’s exactly how the place it references makes me feel.
I think what sets me apart from other creatives is my storytelling approach to furniture design.
What matters most to you? Why?
What truly matters most to me is being a good person. Be good, do good, be proud of yourself, and don’t be a phony.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://www.hanego.work/
- Instagram: @hanego
Image Credits:
Hannah Go Marisa Mitchell
