Wide eyed

Suzy Platt has established herself as a leading figure in New Zealand portraiture with her distinctive whimsical and emotionally engaging style. Often depicting young women, Platt’s work reveals more than just the subject matter – captivating viewers with intricate detail and a playful aesthetic.

Geisha 1, 2021, oil and mixed media on paper.

Based in Dunedin, Suzy is a largely self-taught artist who paints prolifically. Her early works explored the ideas and techniques of Picasso, Modigliani and Chagall; she has since also drawn inspiration from notable contemporary Australian artists such as Russell Drysdale and Charles Blackman. 

Her work is globally celebrated for its whimsical charm and distinctive eye portrayals. Using watercolour and ink she achieves an ethereal quality with soft transitions and subtle colour variations, while her sophisticated technique ensures a fluid, dynamic representation of her subjects.

Bird Of Paradise, oil, acrylic, collage, and spray paint on canvas.

Suzy’s pieces all exhibit a beautiful feel for balance: in the breathtaking use of light and shadow, in the use of lustrous colour, and in the tension between strong masses and delicate lines. Emerging themes that recur through her work are wide eyed young girls caught in their inner domestic world, predominantly depicted as harlequins and pierrots: the innocent lone children in an elusive story.

Blue Velvet, 2022, oil, acrylic, collage, and spray paint on canvas.

Represented in New Zealand by Artbay Gallery in Queenstown, her work has been exhibited around the globe, including a notable inclusion in an art show depicting fashion collections from Paris Fashion Week in London in 2017. Suzy has also been invited to showcase her work at Nick Knight’s fashion show at SHOWstudio in London, and was featured as a guest illustrator of runway highlights at New Fashion Week 2020. 

Find out more about Suzy Platt and her work at artbay.co.nz

Enter your details below to go in the draw to win this captivating piece, Geisha 1, by Suzy Platt.

*Entries close on 29 November 2024. The winner will be drawn on 2 December and contacted by email. Entries are open to those living in New Zealand only, and delivery of the prize is within New Zealand only. By entering, you agree to receive occasional email communications from Nook Publishing Ltd and Artbay Gallery. 

Latest video features

In the Coromandel, a home with a humble profile and a thoughtful design makes the most of a stunning location.

Built with awe-inspiring attention to detail, this Arrowtown home is a fresh interpretation of a familiar Otago rural vernacular.

This sculptural Northland bach is a perfect north arrow on a remote farm high above the sea.

With the sun on its bow and the community at its stern, this is a house in which the elements are always front of mind.

Trending articles

Design News

On Dorset Street

When interior designer, Campbell Johnson, returned to Christchurch from Europe, it was one of Sir Miles Warren’s Dorset Street Flats that caught his eye. It’s

Homes

City villa: A sleek Remuera renovation

Approach this 100-year-old villa in Auckland’s Remuera and there’s a beguiling sense of history and character, but there’s also a sense of something more.

Homes

Pavilion in the clouds

Five simple elements and the well-placed delivery of a stunning view define this minimalist, Hawke’s Bay home by Dorrington Atcheson Architects.