We had the good fortune of connecting with Frank Hadzima and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Frank, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I grew up in a household that nurtured creativity so it was natural that I continued to pursue art as I got older. I think there is something truly magical in the process of making a painting. That in combination with the unique humor that comes with painting bizarre internet imagery really packs a punch.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I make paintings documenting contemporary online spaces. This usually means that I’m painting people doing weird things that you often only find online. I really love the humor that comes from putting these subjects into paintings more than anything else. I’m a recent graduate from The Cleveland Institute of Art so my professional career is still getting started. I can’t say it’s been easy but it also hasn’t been terribly difficult due to the love and support I’ve received from my community.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
First stop would definitely be the Cleveland Museum of Art. The collection there is insane. I’m not one to go out to eat a lot but two of my favorite places to eat in Cleveland when I want a fun night out are Pacific East (great sushi), Cloak and Dagger (fun cocktails). Other than that I’d probably tour around to other galleries around the city just to really give them a taste of the art scene here as well as some of the parks in the area.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be here without the continued support from the Painting Dept. at The Cleveland institute of Art as well as my friends and peers Jordi Rowe and Alex Vlasov for always pushing me to be my best.

Website: https://frankhadzima.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/franken_fruit/?hl=en

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@frankfrank1749

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