Painter from the North West of England

Artist Statement

In my graphite works on paper and oil paintings, I lean into romantic and theatrical imagery as a way of exploring psychological states. I want the work to feel emotionally charged. The slow, deliberate layering of pencil or oil paint and the firm edges and shadows, hold these women and men, insects, and objects in poses they'll perform forever. It's a kind of visual stability that mirrors the digital archive, where a fleeting moment remains frozen in time long after the feeling has dissipated. In another way, the slow, careful act of drawing and painting becomes a way of restoring a sense of presence and emotional complexity. 

My background in sculpture (BA Fine Art) and wardrobe departments in TV and theatre has shaped my approach to three-dimensional form and the expressive potential of clothing. Elements such as ribbons, pearls, belts or hair take on a life of their own. I'm fascinated by paintings that feel both flat and spatial at once, like the work of Robert Campin or Carlo Crivelli, where the precision of the fabric folds and shadows is almost audible.

For price list, please email me at studio[at]susannahpal.com

For work in progress please see my Instagram here.

Education - BA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art, UAL (2009) and PGCE Teaching Qualification in Art & Design, Institute of Education, University College London (2015).

Selected exhibitions - The Summer Exhibition, The Royal Academy 2025, July 2022, The Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries 2020, Secret Charter Dulwich Picture Gallery, London, 2018. Drawing in Uncertainties Charles Roe House,  2016. Art Makes Teachers Powerful, Menier Gallery, London 2015. Hand Joy, Centre for Recent Drawing, London 2009.

Podcasts ‘Where does inspiration come from?’ Tate Modern podcast for Picasso 1932- Love, Fame and Tragedy. I was a guest speaker. 2018
Funding - Develop Your Creative Practice (DYCP) - Arts Council England. 2023

Teaching - Selected institutions and galleries I have taught drawing at include The National Gallery, The Royal College of Physicians, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Battersea Arts Centre, Central Saint Martins, St John’s Church, Shoreditch Town Hall, West Dean House, Strawberry Hill House.