Suzanne Shortt - Artist Statement

Suzanne Shortt's recent vivid canvases explore patterns of human interaction. Landscapes of people as seen from above a busy beach, a public park, a community swimming pool, a marathon race or a winter skating rink provide fascinating human choreographies. Suzanne's renderings of these open spaces are sometimes meditative, sometimes playful, and always compelling. Subtle personal stories populate the pictures. These stories prompt thoughts of the relationship between the individual and the crowd; between positive and negative space; between one person and their part in a larger human story. In her twenty year career, this Canadian artist has lived, painted and exhibited in Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. She currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey. Suzanne's work draws on the cultural and aesthetic diversity of this life. Training as both a fine artist and a computer animator brings a rich mix of styles to Suzanne's canvases. Colour is her passion. Flat areas of bold colour and negative space charge the narrative of what she is painting. Woven through all her work is her optimistic, life-affirming spirit.

Suzanne Shortt was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1969. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Queens' University, Canada, in 1992 and diplomas in computer and technical animation at Sheraton College, Canada, in 1998 and 1999 respectively. In her twenty year career, she has lived and exhibited in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America and currently resides in Istanbul, Turkey. Her work draws on the aesthetic and cultural diversity of this life. Her paintings are part of private collections all over the world. Suzanne has worked with various development agencies including CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency) to promote development issues through her art.