susie mendelsson | visual artist

welcome to the wonderful world of weird!

I make wonderfully weird sculptures from paper and discarded objects. My work is sometimes disconcerting and dark, but there's always an element of humour in there somewhere.

I am fascinated by the human figure, especially the female form: women of all shapes and sizes. I'm not into perfect representation or accurate anatomy. Like the Expressionists, I focus on internal lives, vulnerabilities, fears, dreams, secrets and hidden desires.

Much of my work explores the personal, using memories, fears and anxieties from my own life. But I aim to communicate issues and concerns which are universal, especially from a woman's perspective.

Rather than make a conscious effort to arrive at a particular end-product, my process has become more the focus of my work, so the act of 'play' has become a priority.

find susie on the web

about this website

From the thousands of pieces I've created over the years, I've chosen just 144 to put on this website. It should give you a glimpse into the range and style of work that I make.

They are divided into 12 sets of 12 covering my most recent work, various categories of sculpture (family, tribes, stories, couples, characters) paintings (2008-2010, 2004-2007, 1999-2003), monoprints and paper collage. There is also a set of images from the archives which I hope to change every few months. I hope you enjoy looking.

i don't do sophisticated

I love art that is rough around the edges. I'm not interested in perfection. I don't appreciate skill for skill's sake. I always seek the humanity, integrity and bare truth in work. I'm strongly influenced by folk, ethnic and 'outsider' art (by self-taught artists outside the established art scene).

My work is for those who like their art raw. Who want to keep coming back to a piece and still find something new to marvel at. The art I make is for those drawn to stories, emotions, dreams and self-expression. There are no easy answers here, just what you bring to the work.

my personal story

I first trained as a graphic artist and then spent many years as a painter (I got an MA in Fine Art in 2001). When I moved to Suffolk in 2010 I made an unexpected diversion into sculpture and have been making three-dimensional work ever since.

I've exhibited widely over the years – both across the UK and abroad – but now I've stepped off the treadmill to focus on creating new work.

come and visit?

I work daily from my garden studio (a refurbished garage) in Woodbridge. Unlike many local artists, it's the psychological landscapes inside people's heads that inspire me more than the Suffolk landscape. But I do love nature and take a daily walk by the River Deben to kick-start my day.