Susannah Mills, Los Angeles, USA
Location: Studio 1
Dates: 7 April – 10 May 2025
“My work as a painter is a stream‑of‑consciousness process that results in symbolic, semi‑abstract imagery populated by spirit beings in dream landscapes and cities. My art is directly connected to my work as a death doula and relates to the deep psychology of death and rebirth — how life and spirit move, and how human relationships bring life into existence.” — SM
The art I create is directly connected to my work as an End of Life Guide and relates to the deep psychology of death and rebirth — how life and spirit transform, and how human relationships make life possible.
My work has always been shaped by the intersections of humanity, imaginary worlds, and the end of life, reimagining spaces with otherworldly figures in landscapes drawn from symbolic dream imagery.
In January 2025, my studio burned down in the California fires. In the ashes, I discovered remnants that I want to explore together with natural elements and the inspiration of a new place. Strangely, a few paintings burned into circles and half‑circles, and a vintage rug burned into two circles. A digital drawing tablet fused with a jacket from the 1980s and turned into an oval sculpture.
The way these objects from the fire transformed into circular shapes fascinates me as a way of understanding the nonlinear meaning of life. I want to work with these objects in dialogue with other artists to explore the simultaneous destruction and reconfiguration created by fire, expanding them into complete works using paint, canvas, natural materials, and textiles.
