Susqya Williams: Interior landscapes
Susqya Williams
Interior landscapes – 2008
Embroidered tapestry
212 x 169 cm
Signed and dated bottom right
Sold - 2011
Born 13 November 1939, Krugersdorp
Susqya Williams has been designing and weaving tapestries for nearly forty years. The list of commissions she has successfully completed since the late 1970’s is impressive, but more impressive than this, are her embroidered tapestries; the essence of her art. The ingenious design and the absolute dedication, concentration and months of physical hard labour required to produce a work of art of this magnitude, leaves one in awe.
The most remarkable aspect of Williams’ tapestries is that she does everything herself. Apart from the conceptualisation, design and planning of a tapestry, Williams sets up the loom, dyes the wool, does the weaving, embroiders the woven work and finishes it off - without any outside help.
The artistic merit of a work like this is astounding, as it requires different types of expertise on different levels, without which, creating a work of this nature would never be possible. Unfortunately, there is not a great understanding or tradition of this art form in South Africa, and very few people appreciate what they are looking at when presented with something as special and unique as this.
Williams’ designs are strong in both composition and colour, with the added bonus of texture, not only because of the woven wool, but also because of the embroidered detail. The visual experience of the depth of colour found in this woven media, with the hundreds of individual strands of colour conjuring up the most amazing combinations, is exhilarating to the eye, and inspirational to the spirit.
To view the Susqya Williams web page click here
To view the artist’s CV click here