Su Blackwell

Su Blackwell is an artist working predominantly within the realm of paper. Su has exhibited her exquisite sculptures around the World. Her illustrated book of fairy tales 'The Fairytale Princess', written by Wendy Jones, and published by Thames & Hudson was released in 2012. Su has designed art fabric for Liberty London, and her illustrations are contributed to a regular column in 'Intelligent Life' magazine and Harper's Bazaar UK. Su has also turned her hand to art-direction for commercials,...See more

Su Blackwell is an artist working predominantly within the realm of paper. Su has exhibited her exquisite sculptures around the World. Her illustrated book of fairy tales 'The Fairytale Princess', written by Wendy Jones, and published by Thames & Hudson was released in 2012. Su has designed art fabric for Liberty London, and her illustrations are contributed to a regular column in 'Intelligent Life' magazine and Harper's Bazaar UK. Su has also turned her hand to art-direction for commercials, for clients such as Volvo and British Airways, and to theatre set-design. In 2011, Su was asked to design the set for The Rose Theatre's production of 'The Snow Queen'. Praise for 'The Snow Queen': 'There is a great deal to charm here, especially in Su Blackwell's cutout paper designs, which conjure fairytale forests and winking houses'. Lyn Gardner, The Guardian 'The scantly coloured set by Su Blackwell, with its paper cut-out trees and houses, is lovely'. Domonic Cavendish, The Telegraph Su says of her work... "I often work within the realm of fairy-tales and folk-lore. I began making a series of book-sculpture, cutting-out images from old books to create three-dimensional diorama's, and displaying them inside wooden boxes". "For the cut-out illustrations, I tend to lean towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder. There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle colour." Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions. Su Blackwell, 2007 Su Blackwell Studio Ltd. was set up in 2011 to work on a variety of projects, commissions and collaborations. The studio comprises of Su (director) and her assistant 'Emma'. Clients include Waitrose, FT Weekend, Intelligent Life Magazine and BBH Agency, London. Su is also represented by Long and Ryle Gallery, London. See less