Artist Profile:

Suzy Platt

Suzy was born in Dunedin, where she now lives with her husband and four children. Largely self-taught, she paints quickly and prolifically. Her works are highly sought after, and she has gathered many admirers around the world.

As a child, she and her family often spent holidays in Sydney with her grandparents, who, having a passion for things relating to art and music, were strong mentors, and a defining influence on her. Here too she developed a deep appreciation for Australian art and artists such as Russell Drysdale and Charles Blackman, whom she continues to admire and draw inspiration from.

Early works explored the ideas and techniques of the early modern artists such as Picasso, Modigliani, and Chagall. Noticeable in these works is a beautiful feel for balance that typifies all her work: in the breathtaking use of light and shadow; in the use of lustrous colour; in the tension between strong masses and delicate lines. Here too emerge subjects that recur through Suzy's work: the harlequin and pierrot; the innocent lone children in an elusive story.