We recently had the chance to connect with Susan Grace and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Susan, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I just made a big life change by moving to a different state and now live in the country surrounded by woods, rabbits, bobcats, fireflies, frogs, wildflowers, alternating rain and sun, and melodic, mysterious night sounds. It’s been a joy to set up a new studio in an unfamiliar place and to see everything around me with fresh eyes. I have never lived in the country before, so it’s been a joy to explore the land and become more familiar with the trees, plants, animals, birds and insects that are just outside my studio. As I learn more about their habits, it’s fascinating to see up close how interdependent we all are. I It’s a wonderful way to ease into a new rhythm and open possibilities for growth and change.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a contemporary figurative artist whose oil paintings have their basis in the human form, but each portrait captures a figure in flux. My work primarily focuses on the female figure and explores the various ways feminine identity can be expressed. In my portraits of women, organic forms, adornment, and masks are used to indicate psychological or spiritual states and to facilitate the creation of new personas. They both disguise and conceal as well as express a certain character and spirit. Using layering, fragmentation, and distortion, I create space for multiple interpretations, gesturing toward a narrative that I ultimately leave open. I see the figures in my paintings as participants in unfinished dramas in which they are continually evolving, exploring possibilities for metamorphosis, delighting in the fluidity of identity, and remaining indifferent to a final resolution.
My work has been widely exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the U.S., including ARC Gallery, Chicago; Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, GA; World Trade Center, New Orleans; Kirkpatrick Center Museum Complex, Oklahoma City; Wichita Art Museum, KS; Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, WI; The Kentucky Museum, Bowling Green; Riverside Art Museum, CA, Weinberger Fine Art, Kansas City; Manifest Creative Research Gallery, Cincinnati; La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Los Angeles; and 33 Contemporary, Palm Beach, FL. I have been featured in multiple publications, including New Visionary Magazine; AQ Quarterly Catalog, Vol. 4: Celebration of Women and Non-Binary Artists in Contemporary Art by Create! Magazine; American Artist; New American Paintings (West) Issue 174; and 33PA (Poets Artists) Fall 2024.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My relationship with my father most shaped how I see myself. He always treated me as a person capable of doing whatever I set out to do. He did not teach me to stay safe or to behave like a good girl. Instead, he sparked an adventurous spirit. As a young child, I learned to ride horses at a fast gallop, throw fire batons into the air, learn a foreign language when no other chid my age had even considered it. Although it was unusual for the small town where I grew up, I left high school when I was 16 so I could go to a university at an early age. My family did not have money so I put myself through university by winning scholarships and working at the university library. I majored in theater and literature and was acting in university plays at age 17. After I got my Master’s degree, I went to live and teach in Athens, Greece. I had no experience traveling on my own and no knowledge of the language. It was something I had dreamed of doing, so I just did it. My father always gave me his support to follow my path, whatever that might be.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I recently changed my mind about thinking I needed to live in a big city to grow as an artist and to be successful in an art career. Certain life-changing events made me reconsider what was truly of value to me. I realized I could be creative anywhere and longed to be in a peaceful area surrounded by nature and able to appreciate simple pleasures. I now stay in touch with artist friends all over the world through social media, Zoom meetings, and even old-fashioned letters. I am represented by a gallery that is not in my region, but it’s easy to communicate with them and to ship them finished work. I have family who live close by, and it’s been a joy to get to know them again and to have that kind of steady support. It’s also encouraged me to be more playful again and not feel guilty when I choose to be light-hearted rather than my former, very serious, workaholic self.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I’m committed to the project of following my own path as an artist and steadily creating a body of work that is authentic to my own vision. With so many clamoring voices on social media, it’s easy to get swayed by different fads in art and to think I need to do the next trending style. However, I have a sense of what I want to accomplish that is informed by books I’ve read, films I’ve seen, and experiences that have shaped me. It’s also deeply tied to some part of me that cannot articulate in words what I want to communicate, but there is a powerful need to make the attempt to express something visually, through the act of painting, that sustains me.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I’m immersed in a project without disruption of any kind. For me, that means giving myself permission to explore as I paint, to not judge myself, and to keep going without fear of failure. The simple gesture of making one small brush stroke at a time is an act to be celebrated again and again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.susangracestudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susangracestudio/
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
