Susanna James

mixed-media - acrylic, ink, collage on stretched canvas
40cm x 40cm
Title: The Gaze – Looking with Love

Inspired by Michael Simpsons ‘Leper Squint Series’, his rendering of the walls suggest a ‘surface that has built up over time, evoking a host of predecessors’… Simpson explained this as ‘a metaphor for the mystery of what lies beyond’.
Though we grow and change, we each carry traces of our past. ‘Nothing is erased, but overlaid’. Yet beneath the layers lies our true Self, which bears the imprint of the Divine. We are the Beloved, and this is our true identity. Layers in the work depict the layers of self and how traces of our past remain; embedded significant phrases within the work honour an inner journey made. The use of colour symbolism of gold and purple in the centre denote the dignity and value of the inner self.

I intend to continue to develop my work boldly, expressively, and intuitively to create work that is meaningful.

“ Exploring a wide range of techniques and mediums during my OFCAD year has given me the skills and confidence to be more experimental and investigative in my approach. I learned how important research and sketchbook experimentation is in developing and expanding my ideas.
The process of making a final artwork that is imbued with depth and meaning has been an immensely satisfying experience and I have been surprised and proud of what I have achieved.”

STUDENT SHOWS

Susanna James