Susan Gräfin Zu Bentheim

Through the journey of a trans-continental life, I have circled back to what matters most in life and work. Between the southern coast of Africa and land-locked Hungary, between Germany and Johannesburg my center has become fixed on family values and ephemeral spark of vitality.
in my work I have chosen to focus on mainly portraits to express my desire to connect with others - both my subjects and audience- through the shared experience of an image captured in paint.
While the full gamut of life provides the basis of my choice of subjects, from the ingenuousness of early childhood to the quiet knowledge of approaching death, each artwork has the same source, in a moment of fleeting but clear and heartfelt inspiration. I am drawn to something evocative yet untranslatable brief instants that are then translated into oil paint.
My painting begins with the labour-intensive yet meditative production of a perfectly smooth surface.
This provides the background for translucent deposits of thinned-down oil paint, which enhance the honesty of the works. There is inherently little room for error while brushstrokes and the pigment remains visible.
Few shades are selected for any one painting, pared-down colour palette likewise allows th...

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art History and Education
Two years of Visual Arts

DF Contemporary Cape Town
ARTEM Gallery
AVA Cape Town