Suus Suiker Dutch, b. 1966

From early childhood, Suus Suiker (Hellevoetsluis, 1966) has been artistically driven. After her studies at the Hague Art Academy, she established herself as an independent artist. Since, she has become an expert in encaustic mixed-media painting (painting with pigmented warm beeswax) combined with ink, chalk, and oil paint.

Unlike many other mediums and varnishes, beeswax is a durable natural product. This technique was already used in ancient Egypt; several works from the period still remain to this day. In order to use it, Suus melts the beeswax together with a natural resin and pigments. Then, the mixture is applied in several layers to a porous paper. The layers soon fuse together and create a strong depth effect on the painting. The final polishing of the wax creates a deep shine and even more intense colours.

Suus’ main themes in the Symbiose series are flowers and branches, natural structures and reflections. It is a theme which fits perfectly with the natural medium. This genre can be called "contemporary impressionism".