Sue Conradie

Nature is not afraid of its own wildness. It is not afraid to choke out intruders who aim to upset the balance, a balance that only arrives when one is willing to walk face-first into the mystery, where the light is dim and forces are strong.

There is within each of us, an ancient memory of what it means to be a natural, organic human being. That memory possesses freedom and beauty but also a useful power. We are, at our core, wild and wonderful.

Although I'm an expressionist at heart, I make use of imagined landscapes to give my paintings time and place. I aim for minimal mark-making and simplicity so as not to overwork a painting. An affinity for colour and a love of Japanese art as well as the Impressionists and some Classical painters, are the foundation of the visual language. Poetry. Poetry, either my own or that of other poets, also finds its way in, either in the titles or in the narrative of the landscape.

****************************************************************************

I was born in Jhb, lived in the Karoo for a short spell and then in Kommetjie for fifteen years where I helped set up Kommetjien Open Studios in 2019. Self-taught, I've studied and investigated various subjects to support my work and life, including painting, creative writing, poetry, clothing design and production, metaphysics, politics, music and music production. I began exhibiting my work in 2010. I'm a member of the Spier Arts Trust and the The Kommetjie Collective . I live with my husband and sons in the village of Fisherhaven, Hermanus.