American Promise explores the dynamics of expectation and responsibility inherent in the “inalienable rights” of “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” These rights are the foundation of the American Dream, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. Hesse’s new series of work juxtaposes text and images, and expressions of color and play to explore the contradictions inherent in the founding rhetoric and contemporary reality of life in America.

Hesse was born in Germany and lived in South Africa and Germany before coming to the United States. Drawing from her perspective as an immigrant, she focuses a playful and insightful eye on the assumptions that underlie the American Promise.