Susan Gourley is an artist of colonial heritage, born on the stolen and unceded lands of Gunditjmara Country (part of the Eastern Maar nation) located in Southwest Victoria, Australia.
Susan’s work is deeply rooted in a genuine love for nature and humanity, lamenting the legacies of colonialism that continue globally. Her works are often imbued with visual metaphors that engage with indigenous narratives regarding sovereignty and human rights. The act of making becomes a decolonising process, a way to deconstruct beliefs and worldviews ingrained in her own colonial ancestry.
Ecology, ecofeminism, the cross-cultural, materiality, and the regenerative qualities of rubbish to critique history and modernity are all underlying themes that inform Susan’s practice. They represent a bid to better understand the implications, and moral responsibility of what it means to be a creative practitioner living in contemporary Australia.
The recipient of a Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship, Susan graduated with a Doctor of Visual Arts in 2019.