Susan Heywood

Susan Heywood

Medium and Technique

Natural fibres (weaving), pastel, acrylic, photography, print-making, portraiture, sculpture 

Location

Bundjalung Country

Artist’s Statement 

Since a child, I’ve always enjoyed taking photos and drawing. Photography has been the main constant in my life, expanding this at one point to make comical  cards which featured animals found in the paddock while I was helping my husband farm. Living on a small property in the bush north of Tenterfield for 27 years, and in the beauty of the local surroundings inspired me to create and share something of this exquisite backdrop. Now I’ve relocated to the Kyogle Shire and enjoy seeing the mountains from a different angle! I’m a very tactile person so the work I produce incorporates some varied textures in the application or appearance.  I often aim to feature natural fibres such as wood or vine to highlight their interesting grains and form. I’ve explored wire and wooden sculptures, exhibiting in Stanthorpe, Surat, Glen Innes, and Warialda over the past 5 years.

More recently I’ve learned basketry techniques from Bundjalung weavers such as Kylie Caldwell and have created woven accessories for outfits used on the runway in the National Indigenous Art Fair in 2026. Weaving is a very meditative process, involving a knowledge of local plants, harvesting and drying and preparing for use, and then working with the unique traits of each fibre to produce basketry and figurative forms. As I live and create on Country, I aim to respect and honour the gifts of this land.

Contact Details 

Check out my instagram page: <susanxheywood.art>