Susan Fraser-Hughes grew up in Perth, Western Australia. In 1996, she moved to Calgary, Canada, and in 2011, to Vancouver, where she currently lives and works. Susan holds a BFA from the Alberta College of Art and Design (Alberta University of the Arts), an MFA from the University of Calgary, and a PhD in Fine Arts from Aberystwyth University in Wales.

Through her work, Susan explores her connections with place, people and objects.

My Art always begins with a direct experience. When I connect with a landscape, a building, or an object, my reaction is almost physical, attuned. I often have no history with the place or item, yet the resonance I feel is powerful and instant. When I feel this connection, I take time to explore, to absorb, and to photograph my experience. This documentation is crucial, should I choose to develop work based on my connection, later in the studio.

For the most part, my Art is developed through drawing. I draw in charcoal on frosted Mylar. The combination of these mediums allow for incredible ranges in tone. They also allow for flexibility in drawing style. Sometimes I draw only by adding layers of charcoal to the Mylar. On other occasions, I add and erase to create my desired effects.

The subjects I choose to visually explore; I often explore in series, each piece within a series different from the next. Individually a piece encapsulates a specific element or emotion; together they tell a story. I draw until the intuitive connection I felt, no longer exists. Usually, my explorations of a subject will start and end with drawings. On occasion though, I will choose to take my work in a different direction, using different mediums.

Through my Art, I lay bare my resonance to places and things. This resonance is shaped by my emotions, my memories, and my history. How a viewer responds to my work, may be dependent upon what they themselves bring, their connections, their own history.