Susan Szenes
(b. 1966, Toronto | Lives and works in Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Susan Szenes is a Toronto-based Canadian mixed media artist whose urban abstract works are known for their vibrant textures, autobiographical layers, and symbolic exploration of memory, place, and identity. Blending elements of Arte Povera, folk art, primitive abstraction, and modernist composition, Szenes creates richly layered works on wood using reclaimed materials, paint, collage, and typography. Her practice appeals to collectors who value storytelling, material experimentation, and visual narratives rooted in personal and collective experience.

Raised in a creative household, Szenes was inspired early on by her mother’s painting and her father’s hands-on craftsmanship. This dual influence shaped a lifelong approach to art that merges intuitive expression with structural play. After earning diplomas in Graphic Design from George Brown College and Digital Multimedia from Humber College, Susan developed a visual language marked by iconography, numerology, and street-level symbolism.

Her recurring theme, “The Road,” documents both literal and metaphorical journeys—from childhood adventures to cross-country quests of self-discovery. Through layered surfaces and bold urban abstractions, Susan invites viewers to engage with their own sense of nostalgia, place, and transformation.

With a career spanning over 20 years, her work has been exhibited at major Canadian institutions such as the Tom Thomson Art Gallery, McIntosh Gallery, and Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant, and internationally at art fairs including Palm Beach Art Fair, Bridge Art Fair NYC, and Toronto Art Fair. Her work is held in notable collections including the City of Toronto, Toronto Pearson Airport, and the personal collection of former Prime Minister Paul Martin.