[1] Claus' installations produce sensory environments that highlight time, place, and elements and her artwork explores the complexities of themes such as community, identity, modernization, and relationships.
[2] Hannah Claus (Kanien'kehá:ka and English heritage) was born on February 7, 1969, in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada and is a member of Kenhtè:ke [Tyendinaga, Mohawk of the Bay of Quinte].
In 2019, Claus co-founded daphne, the first Indigenous-led artist-run centre of Tiohtià:ke, with fellow artists, Skawennati, Nadia Myre and Caroline Monnet.
The suspended white discs hang in cloud-like form, and are meant to mimic what the Sky-Woman's home must have looked like before she descended down to earth.
The cloud-like forms stand to evoke community and creativity, and each individual white disc blend together to erect multiple massive clouds.
Critic Justin Santelli of the Queen's University Journal claims Claus' work as an "incredibly unique piece, and it deserves your attention.
"[5] "Water song" is a suspended installation piece, a part of the group exhibition "Inaabiwin" in the Ottawa Art Gallery, Ontario.
Suspended from the ceiling hang threads holding the thin acetate discs that contain images of rivers, branches, and other pictures of nature on them.
This traditional song was gifted to Claus by Tracey Metallic, Glenda Wysote-LaBillois and Victoria Labillois of Listuguj, all Pugwalesg singers.
[8] In 2018, Hannah Claus was chosen as the creator of the Indigenous art installation contest at Queen's University Law building in Kingston, Ontario.
The materials comprised in this artwork are translucent and frosted acrylic sheets, and this installation is the first time she has ever physically represented the wampum belt.
Her inspiration is drawn from the illegible hand writing in the North West Company's registers and provides a view into the Indigenous world perspective during the early fur trade in the 1500s.
Claus and five other artists were chosen to receive a $25,000 award[38] and produce a permanent collection for the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art.