The painting, “Blue Moon,” pictured in this issue is an example of Hahn’s east meets west painting style. Featuring a parrot seductively posing in a kimono and a large cat paw splayed out on the tail of her garment, at first glance it looks like the parrot should be frightened.
“People worry about the parrot, but she’s fine,” says Hahn, who points out a cat wanted poster in the left corner of the painting. “The birds hung up posters all over the neighborhood of the cats they intend to pick off.” (The parrot has an AK-47 hidden under her kimono to get the job done.)
Meher McArthur is an independent Asian art historian and writer who has curated shows containing Hahn’s work. “Moira is superb with the brush and has a wonderful sense of color,” says McArthur. “Her work is layered and rich. At first glance, the animals in her paintings appear to be cute, but then you realize something unsettling is occurring. The parrot in ‘Blue Moon’ is dressed like a 19th century courtesan and is exposing the nape of her neck, which was considered very seductive. The subtitle of the painting (written in Japanese) is also compelling and amusing—‘Evening Snack.’”
In 2010, Hahn added to her collection a traditional wood block print of “Blue Moon.” Crafted in Japan, it took a woodblock print atelier, a carver and an inker more than a year to complete what is a closed edition of 200 (some are still available). “Having the print made was on my bucket list,” says Hahn. “It turned out beautifully.”