For more than twenty years, I've been creating art that seeks to bring healing and change by examining what it means to be human.   My original poetry accompanied with paintings and innovative printmaking techniques have allowed me to explore human emotions of our time, and to capture human imperfections and strengths.

The fine vintage velvets and rare hand-loomed linens in See Us are innately tactile and relatable.   The fabrics move and mold themselves in the hands of the reader.  Even people who never or rarely work with paper will recognize the textures of fabric from their own experiences.  It was important to preserve the history and story behind each piece of fabric while creating new stories.  Please read more about the project in my blog.

Poetry for See Us
Doctors who crossed barbed wire borders
told me to write my story.  Perhaps if others knew
what was going on here I . . . we would get help.
Help.  Ease.  Alleviate.  Assuage.

I search for the right words with my limited 
vocabulary.  How do I say, "Take that 200lb
man off my 12 year old body without that 
gun breaking my front teeth?"

How can anyone undo the damage.
Fix all of these broken bodies.
Revive souls already in Psychopomp's arms.
Palliate.  Temper.  Diminish
- Suzanne Coley

Asymmetrical Zeal is part of a larger year-long project that was inspired by African textiles I received from the National Museum of African Art Library.  One of the textiles I was given was beautiful, but couldn't be printed on.  It resisted every paint, ink, stain, and dye.  I was amazed at its durability and strength.  During one of my visits  to the museum I explained that I couldn't really work with the fabric, and it was different than anything I had ever seen.  One of the curators told me that it had been woven with the thinnest strands of copper.   Copper gave it its beautiful shine and made it tough.  

With this in mind, I created Asymmetrical Zeal.  I wanted to show the strength of the textiles.  Please read my blog post for more information.

All I Have is part of a larger year-long project that was inspired by African textiles I received from the National Museum of African Art Library.   While working on this project there were multiple news reports about hundreds of migrants traveling  in unsafe, overcrowded rickety boats in the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.   A few strong winds, bad weather conditons or strong currents could easily capsize these boats, drowning everyone on board.  One survivor of these "death voyages" described the ordeal as "it was our only hope."   
One of the textiles I received was a woman's garment from Northern Africa.  I imagined her story based on these news stories and "it was our only hope" and created All I Have.   

All I Have 

My seventh son is all I have.
We must go to land that doesn't 
birth grenades. What good is fertile
soil when Earth knows only graves.

Blessed is the garden of Eden
Our Eves are kidnapped
before they know apples.

My seventh son is all I have.
We must go to land that is dry and calm.
They burn our breath as we pray.  

Gorillas teach apples the secrets of war.

We heard the crash, then the waves.
Please blow air into his lungs,
my seventh son is all I have.
- Suzanne Coley