"The Elements of a Masked Booby Bird"

Digital

Description of Work

This piece was inspired by the Masked booby, a common seabird found on Clipperton Island and other parts of the tropical ocean. The composition highlights elements connected to the bird, moving outward from the center. At the core, the Masked booby stands on rocky ground, reflecting its preferred nesting habitat. Below is a Clipperton crab, which helps control seaweed growth on the island and creates space for the boobies to nest. Surrounding the bird is the brown seaweed Sargassum aquifolium, a seaweed that is native to Hawaiian Islands. Fish circling nearby represent the booby’s diet and frequent prey. Finally, the frame incorporates additional aspects of the bird’s environment: its diving range, common dinoflagellates in the tropical oceans, materials it uses to decorate its nest, and another native brown seaweed in Hawaiʻi, Dictyopteris plagiogramma.

Artist Statement

Hannah is originally from Silicon Valley, CA. She earned her Illustration degree from RISD in 2023, and two years later completed a Marine Biology degree at the University of Hawaiʻi. Now based on Oʻahu, she works as a graphic designer for an environmental organization while also running her small business, "Shy Seagulls", where she sells merchandise and handmade items at craft fairs. Her work draws inspiration from the marine flora and fauna around her, aiming both to celebrate ocean biodiversity and to raise awareness about marine life.