Muriel Helena Hasbun

We are deeply saddened to share that Muriel Helena Hasbun passed away on May 13 in Silver Spring, Maryland. Born in El Salvador in 1961 to Antonio Hasbun Zamora and Jeannette (Janine) Janowski, she leaves behind her loving husband David John Fosnocht and son Daniel Julian Hasbun Fosnocht, her brother Eric (Rita Landaverde) Hasbun, and numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, friends, and colleagues who formed a lifetime of love and engagement.

Muriel was an internationally recognized artist and photographer whose intimate photo-based works explore memory, migration, and complex, multivalent identities (including her own Salvadoran, Palestinian, and Jewish heritage). Her work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums and is part of the collections of institutions including the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the International Center of Photography, among others. She also represented El Salvador at the 50th Venice Biennale, and her work is represented by Gabriela Rosso’s RoFa Art Gallery.

As a dedicated artist-educator she has mentored and supported countless artists and students. She spent a significant portion of her teaching career at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, including serving as head of the Photography Department. She was also Professor Emerita at The George Washington University.

Muriel also founded Laberinto Projects, a nonprofit organization that fosters art practices, arts education, legacy preservation, social inclusion and dialogue in El Salvador, Central America and its diaspora. On the board of the Casa de la Cultura El Salvador, she generously supported Salvadoran arts and artists from the very beginning.

Through her work and personal engagement, she built meaningful bridges between communities, countries, and generations of artists. She will be deeply missed. Her presence, vision, and commitment to culture and dialogue will leave a lasting mark on her family, friends, colleagues, our communities, and the world.