Suzanne O’Sullivan
Glass Artist
Ireland
Ireland
"Do you know that there are glass pieces in
powerlines?"
I didn't. Suzanne inches forward to point out a cyan glass
piece used as an insulator as we pass the next power line. We're in her car,
driving to her home studio just 10 minutes outside of Fermoy.
When we arrive, Suzanne points out the different mediums she has experimented with over the years, from bronze sculptures and weavings to the intricate glass sculptures she makes today.
For Suzanne, glass is essentially a way to keep things suspended, frozen in time. She tells me that her art is held in the balance of quiet and chaos. And this becomes evident when she brings me around her studio and shows me her work.
When we arrive, Suzanne points out the different mediums she has experimented with over the years, from bronze sculptures and weavings to the intricate glass sculptures she makes today.
For Suzanne, glass is essentially a way to keep things suspended, frozen in time. She tells me that her art is held in the balance of quiet and chaos. And this becomes evident when she brings me around her studio and shows me her work.
She starts by pointing out her delicate pieces. These look like intricate leaves and flowers suspended in glass. Suzanne draws much inspiration from the natural world and from her own memories. She explains: “They remind me of flowers from my father’s garden and of the lace flower patterns in my childhood home.”
On the flipside, she shows me other pieces that contain bolder lines, inspired by things that other people may not enjoy talking about. It could be as simple as a nagging migraine or her frustration with institutionalised religion. She shows me a series of pieces with overt Catholic elements and launches into how these were informed by how she feels about growing up Catholic.
I love how Suzanne’s art is inspired so many real things, and how it is a form of catharsis for her.
Her workspace is a personal one: separate from her home. According to her, “no one comes in. Not even the dogs.”
What are her workspace essentials?
“The radio, so I don’t feel alone. And my mat, so that I’m not standing on the hard floor for hours.”
Suzanne has spent the past few years doing commissioned work, but is slowly working towards a solo exhibition. For her, it is not about how long it takes to make a piece but how to get it out of her head and into her chosen medium. And this process is something she does not rush.
Find more of Suzanne’s work here: https://suzanneosullivan.ie/
Visited October 2018, published March 2019.