Hasani Cannon
Oak Park, IL
Dance & Music
Hasani Cannon was born and raised in Oak Park IL, and has been developing his artist skills since the tender age of 5. In 2022, he received his BFA in visual arts at University of Illinois in Springfield and is currently based in Oak Park IL. During his high-school career, Hasani was a finalist in Congressman Danny Davis Art Competition, he was a featured Artist for the OPRFHS Art Gallery and he worked each summer since sophomore year with the Oak Park Arts Council Off The Wall project, even contributing to the Black Lives Matter mural in the summer of 2020. He had his first solo show in 2021 at Forest Park National Bank and took part in the Biennial Terrain show of 2021 along with several shows in the UIS Access gallery and in Chicago.
He is generally interested in the African diaspora, especially in the visual iconography and its evolution over time. His preferred medium is mixed media which includes the use of colored pencil, permanent marker, recyclable materials, and fabric.
Hasani is also a musician and a dancer being a drummer for Chicago based dance company Najwa Dance Corp along with drumming in Chicago band Family Junket. He is also a member of the Studiofreelove art collective since 2023. During his undergraduate college career, he was heavily involved and a student leader of the Art Student League, Afrobeat Dance Crew, and African Student Association. You can follow his instagram @realhasanicannon to follow his artistic endeavors.