Karen Suzuki
- mixed media
- Glasgow
Karen Suzuki’s work has two main themes, both centred around animal forms.
In the first, she makes forms relating to urban wildlife, particularly feral pigeons and other birds that are part of her everyday experience, and tries to express the idea of the fragility and resilience of the animals going about their lives in an urban environment.
The second strand focuses on toy-like creatures, with echoes of the soft toys whose emotional importance can remain with us into adulthood and which take on their own personality with age and through our attachment to them.
The approach is materials- and process-based and Karen uses her version of traditional hand-stitching and embroidery techniques to build the work, using altered textiles and other media. The energetic physical making processes give each creature a sense of uniqueness, vitality and spontaneity.
Personal details:
Karen is Glasgow-born and based at Hanson Street Wasps. After training in ceramics at Glasgow School of Art, she practised ceramics until 2005, exhibiting in the UK and internationally. She turned to textiles in 2006, initially on a part-time basis, and in October 2009 set up her company, Nameless Wonders.
