Suzanna Reynolds
Visual Artist
about
Scottish-Herefordshire based contemporary artist, Suzanna Reynolds harnesses drawing, painting, and digital photography to direct the raw contours of human experience. Forged by 40 years in social work, her expressionistic practice merges visceral mark-making with dreamlike surrealism, channelling the psychological intensity of Francis Bacon and the mythic symbolism of Ken Kiff.
A self-taught creator turned award winning graduate, she earned a First-Class Honours from Hereford College of Arts (2013). That same year her work was selected for the Three Choirs Exhibition and honoured with the Meadow Arts Award. This dual recognition, anchored by the Courtyard, Herefordshire Centre for the Arts, cemented her arrival as vital voice in contemporary figurative art.
Suzanna's work, exhibited internationally and held in private collections across the UK and US, defies decorative comfort, translating inner worlds into large-scale immersive imagery that pulses with an ancient and universal resonance.
statement
My work explores the depths of the subconscious, tapping into something transcendent that extends beyond the physical act of creation. I approach both drawing and painting with a sense of discovery, allowing the materials—whether charcoal or paint—to lead me toward unseen truths. The process is deeply intuitive, a psychological exploration where marks, textures, and forms reveal emotions and ideas that resist verbal expression. I engage in a kind of dialogue with the medium, surrendering control to let the work emerge organically balancing chaos with moments of grounding.
In my charcoal drawings, the large, gestural marks carry a raw cathartic energy as if I am channelling something beyond myself. The physicality of the medium - rubbing, erasing, and reworking - becomes a metaphor for delving into the unconscious, uncovering buried memories and emotions. Painting, which I have been recently revisiting, offers a different kind of spontaneity, solidifying ideas in many ways drawing cannot. Digital works further expand this exploration, creating a feedback loop between mediums and opening up new creative possibilities.
I employ figurative expressionism and surreal imagery to give form to the intangible - emotions, memories and psychological states that defy literal representation. The human figure, often distorted or fragmented becomes a vessel for exploring identity, vulnerability and the complexities of the human condition. Surreal elements, such as dreamlike platforms or uncanny juxtapositions allow me to transcend reality and access deeper layers of meaning. These approaches enable me to communicate the ineffable, creating a visual language that resonates on both a visceral and emotional level.
Influenced by artists like Francis Bacon, Louise Bourgeois, Jackson Pollock and Cy Twomby, I am drawn to the psychological and transcendental aspects of art-making. My work seeks to express the ineffable - emotions and struggles that are difficult to articulate but can be felt viscerally. Having worked as a social worker (40 years), I feel a responsibility to give voice to unspoken human experiences , creating spaces where viewers can confront their own emotions and subconscious thoughts in a safe place where an unfolding and recognition can occur.
At the core, my work is about exploring what lies beneath the surface—emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. The mess, the blur, and the layering of marks serve as metaphors for uncovering something hidden, whether it’s a memory, a feeling, or an idea I couldn’t have consciously created. The act of rubbing, erasing, and reworking the surface becomes a metaphor for delving into the subconscious mind, uncovering what has been buried.
Ultimately my art is about embracing the unknown - the unseen and unexpressed - both within myself and in those who engage with my work. It is a continuous exploration of the complexities of the human mind and spirit and its resourcefulness within.
CURRICULUM VITAE
1 -12th March 2025
UNSEEN - Group Exhibition
Bloom Space. Hereford
diverse exhibition showcasing 20 artists in the HWAN
(Herefordshire Visual Art Network)
1 - 11th November 2024
SlayHayLife OPEN
The Chair. Hay-on-Wye
14 -21st October 2024
UNFRAMED - Group Exhibition
The Left Bank. Hereford
A diverse exhibition showcasing 20 artists in the HWAN
(Herefordshire Visual Art Network)
7th-15th September 2024
2024- Herefordshire Art Week. .
OPEN STUDIOS
Exhibition will run until December
viewing by appointment
tel: 07989 454280
email: suzannareynolds@ymail.com
Suzanna unfortunately had to take a career break with her Art, due to the Covid pandemic and then severe ill health.
Exhibitions (2010 - Present):
• Jan - March 2016:
The Courtyard, Hereford - Solo Show
• September 2013:
Posterity. Let’s Face It
• June 2013: Summer Show - Hereford College of Arts, Prize-winne
• March 2013: Solo Show -
Kidwell’s Law, Hereford
• January 2013:
The Courtyard, Hereford
• November 2012:
The Hub, HCA, Hereford
• July 2012:
Three Choirs Exhibition - Artist representing Herefordshire, The Courtyard, Hereford
• May 2012 - 2013:
Book Art, Various UK Venues, Prize-winner
• Jan 2012:
Featured Spotlight Interview, Artweb.com
• Jan 2012:
Featured Website of the Week, Artweb.com
• Jan - Feb 2012:
Second Helpings, Apple Store Gallery, Hereford
• 2011 - 2012:
Book Art, Various UK Venues, Commendation
• April - June 2011:
Take One, Hereford City Museum and Art Gallery
• 2010 - 2011:
Book Art, Various UK Venues
• Sept 2010:
The Old House Museum, Hereford
• Sept 2010:
MINIWORKS, The Courtyard, Hereford, Prize-winn
• June 2010:
Summer Show, Hereford College of Arts
• August 2010:
The Big Chill Festival
Residencies:
• 2011: Downstairs, Herefordshire
• 2013: Meadow Arts, Croft Castle, Prize-winner 2013
Shows (prior to 2013):
• 2001:
Ombersley Gallery, Worcestershire - Solo Show
• 2001:
Malvern Theatres - Solo Show
• 2001:
Broadway Modern, John Noot Galleries Worcestershire
• 2001:
Sheffield Showroom - Solo Show
• 2001:
Equilibrium, Chiswick, London
• 2001:
Cowleigh Gallery, Malvern, Worcestershire
• 2002:
Ombersley Gallery, Worcestershire
• 2002:
Broadway Modern, John Noot Gallerie Worcestershire
• 2002:
Chelsea Art Fair, London.
• 2002:
Fairfax Gallery, Tunbridge Wells
• 2003:
Broadway Modern, John Noot Galleries Worcestershire
• 2003:
Malvern Theatres, Worcestershire
• 2003:
Cowleigh Gallery, Malvern, Worcestershire
Education:
• 2013: First Class B.A. Hons Fine Art,
Hereford College of Arts, University of Wales
• 2012: Foundation Degree, Contemporary Art Practice, Hereford College of Arts, University of Wales
• 2010: Foundation Diploma in Art and Design University of the Arts London
• 1981: CQSW, Dip SW,
University of Edinburgh
• 1978: B.Sc. Psychology/History of Art
University of St Andrews
contact
Tel: +44 7989 454280
Studio: The Mill, Monksbury Court Barns, Ledbury Herefordshire HR82TU UK