General Expenses is proud to announce the representation of Ellen Hanson.
Ellen Hanson paints figures suspended between control and collapse. Her works begin on stretched textiles. Charcoal drawings are pulled across elastic surfaces until the body bends. Elongates. Absorbs pressure.
She then paints in oil with a near-seamless finish: smooth skin, poised gestures, decorative fragments. Creating images that seem immaculate at first glance. Beneath that composure prowls another register: exhaustion, resistance, maintenance. The labor of appearing untouched.
Hanson’s practice moves through the contradictions of femininity as both image and expectation. Grace, discomfort, coexisting. Beauty is then structure, performance. A burden. All at once.
She received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and her BA from Bennington College. Her recent exhibitions include presentations in Mexico City, Los Angeles, London, New York, and Chicago.
Welcome Ellen !
‘Pozo de la Muerte’ — solo show de @ellenrhanson
en General Expenses
Últimas dos semanas — Cierre: 18 de abril
Quedan pocos días para visitar la exposición individual de Ellen Hanson. Los esperamos en la galería en nuestros horarios o por cita agendando en el enlace de nuestra bio.
Imágenes:
Wishing Well 2 / El Pozo de los Deseos 2, 2026
Imprimación al óleo y acrílica sobre jersey de algodón
45 x 150 cm | 17 3/4 x 59 in
Fall (Anticipation) / Caída (Anticipación), 2025
Imprimación al óleo y acrílica sobre jersey de algodón
30 x 40 cm | 11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
📍 Medellín 263, Roma Sur.
Horarios:
Miércoles a viernes, 11:00–18:00
Sábados, 11:00–14:00
📷 @bruno.ruizn
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English Version
‘Pozo de la Muerte’ — solo show by @ellenrhanson
in General Expenses
Final two weeks — Closing: April 18
The final days to visit Ellen Hanson’s solo exhibition. Join us during gallery hours or book your visit via the link in our bio.
Images:
Wishing Well 2 / El Pozo de los Deseos 2, 2026
Oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey
45 x 150 cm | 17 3/4 x 59 in
Fall (Anticipation) / Caída (Anticipación), 2025
Oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey
30 x 40 cm | 11 3/4 x 15 3/4 in
📍 Medellín 263, Roma Sur.
Gallery Hours:
Wednesday to Friday, 11:00–18:00
Saturday, 11:00–14:00
📷 @bruno.ruizn
“Domestic Failure (Britney’s Hair)” oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey, 30 x 30 cm, 2025
Last two weeks to see ‘Pozo de la Muerte’ at @generalexpenses
“Truth at the Bottom of the Well”, oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey, 120 x 200cm, 2026. A part of ‘Pozo de la Muerte’ at @generalexpenses until April 18
References/inspo: “The nurturer Truth lies in a well, having been killed by liars and actors”, Jean-Léon Gérôme, 1895.
“Truth lies at the bottom of a well”, Frances Macdonald, 1912-1915.
Excerpts from ‘Euripides to the Audience’ by Anne Carson, 2002
‘Pozo de la Muerte’
Solo show by @ellenrhanson
General Expenses, Mexico City
12 March – 18 April 2026
In her solo exhibition at General Expenses, Ellen Hanson draws on the hypnotic and extreme circus act of the “well of death” to explore the intersection of failure and femininity. Through a cool palette of urgent crimsons, nostalgic teals, and unsettling electric greens, Hanson investigates the brutality of the public gaze and the performance of collapse—ranging from the gravity-defying risks of the arena to the metaphorical fall of icons like Britney Spears.
Using a layered technique of ink and gel, the artist creates a sense of distortion and estrangement, inviting the viewer into a state of unease where domestic and existential pits converge.
Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the exhibition before it closes on April 18.
Image:
Frictional Force / Fuerza de Fricción, 2025
Oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey
20 x 30 cm | 7 7/8 x 11 3/4 in
📍 Medellín 263, Roma Sur.
Gallery Hours:
Wednesday to Friday, 11:00–18:00
Saturday, 11:00–14:00
Text by Rebeca Leal Singer @rebe_rebe_rebe_rebe
📸 by @bruno.ruizn
“Well of Death / El Pozo de la Muerte” oil and acrylic primer on lycra, 120 x 150 cm, 2026
Part of ‘Pozo de la Muerte’ at @generalexpenses up until April 18
Ellen R Hanson is a contemporary American painter best known for her innovative work on stretched textiles.
Ellen starts with sketches of figures in ink and charcoal on elastic jersey fabric, then stretches that fabric. This process creates images that look visually polished but also feel tense - reflecting questions about femininity, performance and expectations.
Hanson studied Painting and Art History at Bennington College (BA) and later earned an MFA in Painting and Printmaking at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ellen has exhibited her work in solo and group shows across the U.S. and internationally. Ellen's pieces have been featured in galleries such as NARANJO 141 in Mexico City and Smart Objects in Los Angeles.
Featured:
"Swimmers 11", 2025. Oil and Acrylic Primer on Jersey. By Ellen R Hanson.
"She Dies and I Don't", 2024. Oil and Acrylic Primer on Lycra. By Ellen R Hanson.
"Swimmers 15", 2025. Oil on Lycra. By Ellen R Hanson.
"Swimmers 12", 2025. Oil and Acrylic Primer on Lycra. By Ellen R Hanson.
"Swimmers 13", 2025. Oil and Acrylic Primer on Lycra. By Ellen R Hanson.
"Domestic Failure 4", 2025. Oil and Acrylic Primer on Lycra. By Ellen R Hanson.
"Swimmers 7", 2023. Oil on Jersey. By Hellen R Hanson.
View more at @ellenrhanson
‘Pozo de la muerte’ by Ellen Hanson will remain open until April 18. You can visit the exhibition during the gallery’s regular opening hours.
@ellenrhanson
Second image:
Truth at the Bottom of the Well
2026
Oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey
47 1/4 x 78 3/4 in
📍 Medellín 263, Roma Sur.
Opening hours:
Wednesday to Friday, 11:00–18:00
Saturday, 11:00–14:00
📷 by @bruno.ruizn
“Wishing Well 1” / “Pozo de los Deseos 1” oil and acrylic primer on cotton jersey, 45 x 150cm, 2026. A part of ‘Pozo de la Muerte’ at @generalexpenses until April 18
