Resume (PDF)

English   |  Spanish

" My work is done in series. 

Each series is inspired by a glimpse of nature

a word in a book

or undercurrents in my thoughts.

It becomes  my passion

and I must explore it

with form and materials. 

I concern myself with the contrast

between primitive cultures

and contemporary aesthetics.

I explore man's attempt to control nature

 and survive in an entropic world. " 

Susana Arias was born in Panama City, Panama.

She lives in Santa Cruz, California where she is a sculptor and painter.

In 1987 she was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Grant for her sculpture series “Earthworks”

In 1997 Susana won the “Environs Enhancement Award” from Cal Trans

for her public art Sculpture “Finding our Past” on the Bay Ave. / Porter St. Underpass

For this artwork the California Archaeological Society honored her for

“Artistic Achievement and Advancement of Archaeological Awareness”

 Susana created “Arch at the Polo Grounds” in Aptos, for the County of Santa Cruz.

Her work is in the collections of the Museum of the OAS in Washington D.C.,

 Museo de Arte Contemporaneo in Panama, Rep. of Panama,

Museo Bolivariano  in Santa Marta, Colombia,

Museo de Arte Moderno in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic,

 Museo Casa de las Americas in Habana, Cuba,

Museo del Barro in Caracas, Venezuela, and

Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz, California.

Working with Santa Cruz local youth she has created:

“Light Time” (a working sundial), a traffic circle on King St.

“Sentinel”, a bas relief architectural ceramics sculpture at Aptos Jr. High 

“Our City, Our Town”, the bas-relief tiles around the Police department

“Spring and Fall” two traffic islands on Swift St. and

“Small Creatures ” a traffic island on Trescone St. and

numerous murals at school sites: Westlake, De Laveaga, Vine Hill

Her work is in private collections in the United States, Europe, Canada and Latin America.

Susana’s new series of sculptures in clay consist of simple forms that represent nests, stylized birds and eggs placed within colorful abstractions of trees. Her work reflects her sensitivity to materials and her control of simple elegant forms.