Spotlight Artist

Susan Grace

West
Artist profile photo

Frangipani Suit

Abstract portrait of a person camouflaged by green leaves and white flowers on a light blue background.

oil on canvas

Turning

Profile of a woman with abstract splashes of blue, yellow, and orange in the background.

oil on canvas

Featured in New American Paintings1 / 2

Artist Statement

 The primary focus of my paintings throughout the years has been an explor-ation of the female figure, where I have moved freely between representation and abstraction, utilizing fragmentation, layering, and complexity to create multiple possibilities for interpretation and experience. Although I tend to work in series, my treatment of the figure has varied widely. Employing a variety of approaches keeps me engaged and encourages me to explore new techniques and methods of expression.

For many years I taught literature and theater at universities in the U.S. and at The American College of Greece in Athens before becoming a full-time painter. My study of literature continues to inspire and influence my work. Because of this background, it’s natural for me to want to create work that suggests a narrative, yet it is always an open one. I see the figures in my paintings as participants in unfinished dramas, continually evolving, exploring possibilities for metamorphosis, delighting in the fluidity of identity, and remaining indifferent to a final resolution.

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