Susan Hall

Susan Hall was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and has been a Chicago area resident since 1993.  She has exhibited her work throughout the United States, including shows in Atlanta, Chicago, New York City, and Seattle. Her honors include an Illinois Arts Council Grant, a Georgia Council for the Arts grant, a Community Arts Assistance Program grant (Chicago), and a Best in Show award at the Chicago Anti-Cruelty Society's Animal Images exhibition juried by the late Ed Paschke. Hall received an MFA from the University of Georgia and a BA from Connecticut College.

“In my work, figures are often veiled by a lace pattern that has been embedded in a gesso-coated surface. The pattern screens the figure, obscuring it somewhat, adding to its mystery.

When painting a human figure, I keep the subject somewhat vague and non-specific, so that viewers are better able to bring their own history to the work. When I paint an animal, however, I strive to convey its individuality—its essence. My hope is that the viewer will relate to the animal as a fellow being with whom we share this delicate planet.

As an artist, the emotion that I’m most interested in exploring is empathy. I feel the same level of empathy for animal subjects as I do for human subjects. In turn, I hope that viewers will experience a deep emotional connection to the figure in each piece, whether it is an animal or a person.”

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