About The Eclectika
The Eclectika is an artist-run, artist-supported gallery, studio, and creative space located in Irving, Texas. Established in 2015 and revitalized in 2023, The Eclectika fosters a welcoming, community-focused environment dedicated to supporting the diverse creative talent of the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. Through exhibitions, workshops, and collaborative programming, the space provides artists with opportunities to share their work, develop their practices, and engage meaningfully with the broader community.
Meet The Eclectika Team
Derrick S. Hamm
Gallery Director & Founder
Derrick Hamm, under the alias of Anonymous Heir, has been a practicing artist for over two decades. While their body of work ranges in mediums, their practice focuses mainly on pen and ink illustrations with abrasive, off-beat, amorphous imagery and symbolism. In addition to their artistic pursuits, Derrick has been involved with many art organizations over the years and is the founder and Gallery Director for The Eclectika.
Find their work on Instagram @anon_heir
Photo courtesy of Vahid Valikhani
Lauren E. Allen
Assistant Gallery Director
Currently residing in Dallas Texas, Lauren E. Allen graduated from the University of North Texas in 2024 with a Masters of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in photography and Cum Laude from Texas Woman’s University in 2014 with a concentration in photography.
Lauren’s work is an exploration of the psychological aspects that influence our ideas of self. Utilizing abstracted photographic imagery and fiber, viewers are encouraged to reflect on their own conscious and unconscious identity. Their work has been included in exhibitions at the Deland Museum of Art (Deland, FL) Arlington Museum of Art (Arlington, TX) and Strata Gallery (Santa Fe, NM) among others. With solo exhibitions at The Jung Center (Houston, TX) and Cora Stafford Gallery (Denton, TX).
Find their work on Instagram @leallen_art
Shannon N. West
Facility Manager
Currently residing in Dallas Texas, Shannon N. West graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston in 2019 with a concentration in painting before graduating from the University of North Texas with a Master’s Degree in Drawing and Painting in 2024.
Shannon’s work is an exploration of gender and sexual identity through the use of historically assigned metaphors dissecting the intersection of life, animals, fruits, and objects. Their desire is to introduce feelings of familiarity to feelings of repulsion while exploring the relationship between gender identity, and sexuality and how these forms of identity relate to a society that forms its policy based on morals formed by Western theology. Their work has been included in exhibitions at Artspace 111 (Fort Worth, TX) The MAC Gallery (Dallas, TX) and St. Louis Artist Guild (St. Louis, MO) among others.
Find their work on Instagram @kiwiwolfstudio
Breanne Schwarz
Lead Preparator
Breanne Schwarz is a multimedia sculptor from Dallas, Texas. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in ceramics from the University of South Florida in 2001, and began working at Old City Park Museum in Dallas as a historical potter, creating Early American ceramics on a kickwheel in pioneer costume and firing the pottery in a woodburning kiln. She then went on to work in an art foundry for over fifteen years, earning her title as a master mold maker and wax carver.
Breanne has been on the board of the Texas Sculpture Association since 2015, serving as President from 2017-2022. She received her MFA in sculpture from The University of Dallas in 2024. Breanne’s work examines human relationships and inheritance through a surrealist lens, and her preferred materials include ceramics, resin, and bronze.
Find their work on Instagram @breannearts
Alex Khraish
Eclektizine Editor-In-Peace
Alex Khraish is a multimedia artist, educator, and environmentalist living and working in North Texas. After earning Bachelors of Fine Arts degrees in both Photography and Art History from Texas Woman’s University, Alex went on to be a Museum Educator at the Kimbell Art Museum and the Dallas Museum of Art, with additional experience in social work and early childhood education. Their work addresses themes of identity, magic, and the sensorial experience of connecting with nature, while challenging the materiality of the photographic process. In both their personal practice and as an educator, Alex has extensive experience working with a wide array of artistic mediums, with a focus in papermaking, bookmaking, and printmaking. Alex is a Co-Director and Co-Curator with The PETAL Project, as well as Assistant Coordinator of Denton Zine and Art Party. They teach workshops across the DFW Metroplex at various museums, public libraries, and private studios.
Find their work on Instagram @linkandthezoraband
Vahid Valikhani
Volunteer Assistant
Vahid Valikhani is a photographer and documentary filmmaker and serves as Director of the Beatrice M. Haggerty Gallery at the University of Dallas. Vahid’s work bridges photography and film to explore complex social, cultural, and historical dynamics. His creative practice examines environmental and social conditions across both familiar and foreign landscapes. Through the intersection of landscape and portraiture, he investigates how representations of place and people mutually construct meaning—each revealing the cultural and historical forces that shape the other.
Vahid’s cross-cultural perspective informs much of his work. His experiences of displacement and adaptation deepen his exploration of identity, belonging, and the political dimensions of place. In his research, he often draws upon archival materials, including film and photography, to examine shifting cultural identities and the marginalization of disenfranchised communities, including his own.
He holds a Master of Arts in Film Studies from the University of South Florida, a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from the University of Florida, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from the Art University of Isfahan. His photographs have been exhibited internationally in Germany, Italy, Iran, and the United States. He currently lives and works in Dallas, Texas.
Website: https://www.vahidvalikhani.com/
Find their work on Instagram @_vahid_vv
