Hannah Moghbel - 'Desert Mystics'

"Desert Mystics"
In the high desert of Colorado, our trails are lined with the understated prickly pear cacti. In
winter, their leaf pads lie so limp they appear dead, but they are simply resting. In spring they
begin to lift and green. Then for a few weeks in summer, arrestingly beautiful blossoms
explode, seemingly out of nowhere.
My fiancé was my summer. Tragically, like my baba, the first man who taught me love, Andrew
suffered from addiction. In the end, I left to save myself. Walking away from the man I loved so
deeply was the hardest thing I have ever done.
Shortly after our break-up, a blooming cactus caught my eye at Home Depot, sparking a whole
new series of paintings. During this liminal period, I found solace in Capoeira, a Brazilian martial
art. Singing dancing, and sparring with newfound friends helped lift the weight of my sadness.
Unfortunately, a sports injury ensued, requiring hip surgery. As a self-employed massage
therapist, the unpaid rehabilitation was a crisis.
The morning following my surgery brought devastating news that Andrew had died in a car
accident—his life cut short in an instant. I inquired about our beloved dog, only to learn he too
was gone. Physically and emotionally broken, all I could do was pray and rest.
Painting through those dark hours was a long, lonely crawl through the desert. My art is a
continued search for meaning. As I paint, I meditate on the cacti’s resilience and their ability to
bloom in the harshest of landscapes.
Painting no longer feels self-indulgent or frivolous. It is how I celebrate the gift of being alive. I
blossom by breathing beauty and color into the world. Creating prayers of self-expression, I
hope to honor loved ones I have lost and to uplift those around me.

Bio
Hannah Moghbel grew up as a German-Iranian immigrant in the Blue Ridge mountains of
Pennsylvania. She earned her B.A. in Art Education with a focus on painting from Shepherd
University in West Virginia. Her artwork delves into themes of desire, longing, and femininity,
expressed through strikingly detailed oil paintings. Whether portraying fruit, figures, or flowers,
her fascination with light stands out prominently. She currently lives in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, with her 92-year-old grandmother and her beloved Velcro dog, Clementine.

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