Susan Knaap

I'm Susan, born and bred in Aotearoa, New Zealand. I painted for many years as a self-taught artist, though I undertook a degree level art and creativity advanced diploma in the early 2000's to delve more deeply into creative process. I learned how vital it is to create work that reflects who I am so that I can move beyond mere craftsmanship and share something of myself in what I do. I find that abstraction – where I am able to focus purely on colour, shapes and mark-making – allows me to do that more readily.

My art is inspired primarily by nature and the way in which we, as humans, find connection with its forms, rhythms and processes. In particular, I identify with those aspects which speak to my own psycho-spiritual journey – concepts such as flow, spaciousness, mystery, illumination and transformation.

My creative process always begins with free, intuitive play where there is full freedom to explore colour, marks and textures. This produces a rich, varied surface on which to respond. What follows is a ‘call and response’ interaction – paint is added and removed, covered over and then exposed, until a sense of layered history is created. Ultimately, I attempt to create paintings which unapologetically show my hand in them –...

Masters of Art in Creative Arts Therapy (First Class Honors)
Diploma (Adv) Art & Creativity

Invited to exhibit at 2005 Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporanea (Florence, Italy)

3 solo shows at The Academy of Fine Arts, Wellington, New Zealand

Multiple solo and group shows within New Zealand