Mittens, 2010

Susanne Kerr is a Wellington visual artist who exhibits with FHE Galleries in Auckland. She will be artist in residence on Waiheke Island at Owanake Barn from 26 May-26 August, and, will be working towards a solo show at Waiheke Community Gallery on completion of her residency.

Painting and drawing are integral components of her studio practise. Themes in Susanne’s paintings have included gendered language - how children become sexualised beings and conditioned to the roles society expects of them; language and its misinterpretation; the effects of social and political environments on the individual; the parallels between theatre and life; and social and cultural identity and the manner in which language can define or recreate us.

She has exhibited widely throughout NZ and her art was included in the 2009 survey show Mind Games: Surrealism in Aotearoa at Hastings City Art Gallery.  Her work has been published in several artist’s books and been a finalist in the Wallace Art Award [2008, 2011]; the NZ Painting and Printmaking Award [2009, 2011, 2012]; the Central Otago Art Awards [2011]; the Clifton Art Award [2011]; the Walker and Hall Waiheke Art Award [2008,2010, 2011]; the Molly Morpeth Art Award [2011, 2010]; and the COCA Art Award [1997,1998].  In 2011 she was awarded the People’s Choice Award in the Wallace Art Award and the Zinni Douglas Merit Award in the Walker and Hall Waiheke Art Award.