I fell under the spell of painting at a young age winning the International Young Artists in Kenya and propelling me to study a Fine Arts Degree [Hons] in England before arriving in Australia in 1980. I have worked in a number of fields, design, screen printing, illustration, art education before returning to painting and it has given my work added depth. My work is in private collections in Australia and Internationally.

I have returned to the romance of Far North Queensland, Cairns after 23 years on the Sunshine Coast. Even the reference to the Far North gives me a tingle, conjuring images of escape, isolation and historical stories of heroism, rat bagsand a melting pot of Indigenous, Islander, Chinese and European culture . It joins the dots to my African upbringing.

Artist Statement

I try to depict more than just an image, my paintings are layered with collage, hidden drawings and historical signposts, I am aware of what has gone before within the landscape. I want it to add to the richness of the viewer’s interpretation, sometimes a piece will resonate and take them back to a familiar time and place that I am unaware of.

“My work is not about representation but the emotion and recognition it evokes.”
— Susan Gilmour