A selection of drawings by the New Zealand outsider artist:
her work, recognized belatedly, provides a journey into a
grotesque, sometimes somber universe, filled with animals, distorted human
bodies, and cartoon characters.
Susan Te Kahurangi King (born 1951 in Te Aroha, New Zealand, lives and
works in Hamilton) is the second eldest in a family of twelve children.
Although chatty as a two year old, at the age of five, her ability to
speak was in decline and by the time she reached seven, was a thing of the
past. As King's inability to speak set in, so too did her heightened
ability and commitment to
draw.
King's grandmother acknowledged and encouraged the four year old's
artistic talent and at the age of five, soon after starting school, her
teacher reported that Susan displayed remarkable mental activity in the
creation of complicated figures drawn on paper, and that she was able to
concentrate on drawing for hours at a time. At the tender age of seven,
King was prolific and showed signs of talent as a young artist. In 1960,
the family moved to Auckland so Susan could attend a newly established
special school, which she attended for almost three decades. At some stage
in the very early 1990s, King ceased her drawing practice. However, in
2008, fueled by renewed interest shown in her work, not long before the
filming of
Pictures of Susan (directed by Dan Salmon of Octopus
Pictures Ltd, 2012), she picked up the pencil and began to draw,
continuing where she had left off almost two decades prior. Less than a
year after King recommenced drawing, she had her first ever solo
exhibition at Callan Park, Sydney, curated by Peter Faye. King's
exhibition history is extensive with representation in major art fairs,
galleries and museums by prominent curators. She has featured in many
exhibitions, events and publications in a range of contexts, both as an “
Outside
Artist” and a “Contemporary Artist”. These include; The Institute of
Contemporary Art Miami, American Folk Art Museum New York, Intuit Chicago,
Marlborough Gallery London, The Approach Gallery London, Andrew Edlin
Gallery New York, Outsider Art Fairs in New York and Paris with Chris
Byrne, Robert Heald Gallery Wellington, City Gallery Wellington, TSB
Wallace Arts Centre Auckland and the Auckland Art Fair 2018. Susan Te
Kahurangi King has works in a number of national and international
collections including, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum Of
Modern Art (MoMA) New York, The American Folk Art Museum New York, the
Chartwell Collection (Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tamaki) and the Wallace
Arts Trust, New Zealand.