Susan Washington

Susan Washington's work is infused with a compelling narrative that reflects her extensive engagement with collage, textiles, fashion, and art. Her artistic journey began at an early age, with lessons in origami and sumi ink drawing from her Japanese godmother, as well as watercolor instruction from her father when she was just five years old. During her teenage years, she deconstructed dressmaking as a punk fashion enthusiast. This path led her to 5th Avenue, where she worked at esteemed fashion houses like Dior and Nautica. In April 2021, Susan relocated to Baltimore, where she established a spacious studio on W. Pratt Street. In addition to her ongoing exploration of her 'Subway Sonnet' body of work, Susan frequently receives commissions for large-scale paintings and collaborates closely with designers on residential and hospitality design projects.

Gravitating to the oeuvres of Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, and Joan Mitchell, Washington has continued to push boundaries, re-inventing her work with each new piece while continuing to maintain the cohesive thread that creates her signature look.

“My work is inherently autobiographical.” says Washington. “My Subway Sonnet body of work feels as if they have been created by random collaboration in the same way public telephone booths and trains quickly filled up with stickers and graffiti. The surface is archaeological, stratified with graphic artifacts as some, previously placed, are torn away and others overlaid upon existing iconography. The picture plane is scratched and eroded and scrawled upon. Song lyrics and Shakespearean quotes share the same space with philosophy and street slang. There is rough poetry in the un-painterly rhythm and coarseness of this approach. I have tied together all the imagery and text to imbue each painting with a particular and specific mantra that ranges from “fame” and “success” to “love” and “prosperity”. I pay homage to post-war American art and the neo-expressionists.”

Washington incorporates icons from the world’s religions and philosophies, pictures torn from art and fashion magazines and references to lyrics from my favorite bands find their way onto the canvas. All paintings are created on canvas using oil paint, spray paint, and paper. Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally and has also been included in film and motion pictures including The Book Club with Diane Keaton, LA’s Finest, The Morning Show, and The Laundromat.