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About
the Artist
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Artwork has always
played a significant role in my life, but it
was not until I left a career in finance that
I began to express my strong interest in
family and cultural history through my
artwork. I soon realized the power of
artwork in telling a story, a concept that has
proven to be central to my work.
I began my journey with an exploration of
family history through artwork, telling the
many stories that I had collected through
years of research. Stories are deeply
embedded with narrative that becomes an
important component of the artwork.
Much of my work is figurative and often
includes collage-like elements.My bodies of
work on Lithuania began to incorporate
semi-abstract imagery as I sought to tell the
story of lost Jewish communities and the
traces that remain. Through layering and
the use of Yiddish, I explored the “negative
space” created by the absence of once
significant communities, the impact of the
Holocaust and the way in which Eastern
European countries deal with these issues
today. My series on Poland returned to
figurative imagery to recreate the presence
and diversity of the former Jewish community.
In my series on Identity and Legacy I
sought to capture the stories of Jewish elders
within the Twin Cities community. In
these bodies of work I've moved from family
history to ancestral history to
community history all within the arc of story.
During the pandemic, my focus shifted to the
environment as walking became an important
part of my daily routines. My artwork followed
and soon I was painting trees, trees as
witnesses to climate change and as metaphors
for brokenness. The one
constant in all my work is story and its
connection to broader concepts.
Susan works out of her studio in NE
Minneapolis at
the California Building. The studio is open most Second Saturdays
from
11-4PM.
Other times by
appointment.
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