Suzannah Schreckhise

My art practice centers on exploring the unrecognized value of a process or material, from abandoned traditions of craft to discarded pieces of wood. I see myself as a craftist and work to honor as high art crafts historically dismissed as domestic, as well as to invite care and emotional presence into art making. 

I work both spontaneously and deliberately, starting each piece with a plan in mind while also leaving room for my inner voice to guide my response to the qualities of the material itself: the particular flexion in scraps of wood, or the interplay of weights and textures in different fibers overlaid on paint. 

I find that bringing together contrasting materials allows them to talk to one another, creating a conversation in which each material has a distinct voice. The asymmetry in each piece captures the spontaneity and authenticity of such a conversation.Through my work, I celebrate the complex nature of our relationships with ourselves, one another, and the spaces we inhabit; I seek to honor the generations that came before us and explore the legacy we leave for those still to come.