Suzanne Laird – “Shift” – September 5 – 29, 2018

Suzanne Laird’s intention in this body of work is to shift perspective and consciousness from a place of pain and hurt to one of healing. That transformation is documented in a visual language created by the artist as she navigates the world in a state of acknowledgment, grievance, acceptance and in pursuit of happiness and beauty. Her work denotes tones of tension between fragility, vulnerability and strength, both in forms of subject matter and in the physicality of the materials. Explored through the lens of a feminist perspective, she uses art as a platform for sharing fragmented narratives of trauma and its transformative aftermath. We are capable of shifting narratives, of transforming pain into wisdom. She is a mixed media artist who is guided by curiosity, intuition and introspection. She primarily uses textiles and plaster and consistently experiments with these materials. Her artwork ranges from two-dimensional pieces referencing paintings to three dimensional sculptures.

In 2002, Suzanne Laird earned her BFA in Visual Arts from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, focusing on painting, sculpture, drawing, and media arts. In 2009, Laird graduated with a Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. She has exhibited her work in Saskatoon and around Metro Vancouver, and continues to maintain her studio practice locally.