My work focusses on the fascinating ways in which people construct the narrative of their life through memory, bias, and idealistic perspectives. I’m interested in how our lives and relationships to others are bound by fiction.
Following the embroidery piece I made that was based on a photo of my grandmother, I used another photo as the starting point for a similar piece.
She’s just sitting on the horse with no movement or action in the shot, but I liked the image of her with the animal so I added a bit of movement.
The image of a woman riding a horse with purpose and confidence more accurately represents how I remember my grandmother. The wild flowers represent the uncontrollable elements of nature and life.
My grandmother, Susan (Susie) Prinsloo, finds her way into my art from time to time. Before my brother and I went to school, we would stay with her while my parents were at work – she basically lived next door. Let me add that our family has up until recently, never lived within the urban boundary of the town/city we lived in. Before we moved to the Western Cape, we lived and played in the hills of the Uitkyk Pass near Nelspruit, Mpumalanga.
I remember her teaching us how to knit and to make brooches using igneous rocks and safety pins. She also made the best rooibos kombucha tea. This time spent in nature, being creative and not being influenced by peers, undoubtedly influenced who I am today. It is not surprising that I often use imagery of Susan in or as reference in my art.
She passed away in 1993, but she lives on in the hearts of our family and in my art.
Choosing gifts for people is sometimes tricky. Knowing what they like or absolutely adore helps. A friend is leaving Korea tomorrow, and I wanted to make her a custom gift. This time, choosing a gift was easy, because I knew what/who she loved more than anything.
Details:
I underestimated how long it would take to make – the canvas is only 190 x 190mm. In the end I got through Season one and two of Fargo. I enjoyed both embroidering the cat and watching Fargo – especially season two.
The third in a series of three embroidery pieces I’m showing at the Daejeon Arts Collective’s 8th group exhibition. I pushed the deadline on this one, only hanging it the day of the opening party.
This is the second of three pieces I plan on showing at the Daejeon Arts Collective‘s 8th group exhibition in November. Three weeks to go and one piece left to embroider. I’m watching Gotham season 1 while I stitch, so I should be up to date by the time I finish the final piece.
A friend mentioned that the girl resembles the Canadian ‘record producer, artist, musician, singer, songwriter and music video director’ named Grimes. I had to Google who that was, but I see it. She can be whoever you want her to be.
*This piece is now in the collection of Venus Lukic.
As I mentioned before, I started embroidering a turtle sketch that I made a long time ago. I started both the turtle and the girl with the pink sweater at the same time, but go carried away trying to finish the sweater. The sea turtle is finally done now too.
Initially I wanted to use colour on the turtle, but I liked the way it turned out after I was done doing the outlines, so I added colour to the background. It took way longer than I thought it would – about 2 seasons of The Sopranos worth. As someone mentioned on facebook, it now looks as if the turtle is weightlessly gliding through space. Works for me.
*This piece is now in the collection of Eibhlín Ní Fhallamháin.
I mentioned that I would start embroidering the sea turtle sketch next, and though I did start on it, I got sidetracked and completed this one instead. It’s one of my temptress sketches, but she’s wearing a sweater instead of a corset. I watched the last three seasons of The Wire while doing this one.
Detail:
*This piece is now in the collection of Rosalie and James Knaack.
I have always had a thing for the song Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, though I grew accustom to the Counting Crows version. I took the sketch I made at the 1000 drawings event and made an embroidered version. I think I’m going to explore embroidery for a bit.
Detail.
*This piece is now in the collection of Melisa Pierce.
Suné Horn 
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