Susan Louie
Chinese New Zealand cast glass objects, telling stories of her heritage using glass as a metaphor to throw light to her themes in this area.
Drawing on her life and work experience from growing up in Gisborne to practicing Buddhism and visualising a peaceful world; Susan creates glass pieces (taonga) that are meaningful, accessible and culturally reflective from her own perspective. In addition to working in her own practice, she collaborates with others, currently, the Kohatu Marama Collaborative and and in demand to share her passion to create through teaching art glass casting workshops. Her work is sold in New Zealand and internationally with private collections in USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Public collection at Tairawhiti Museum, Gisborne, New Zealand.
She also creates glass art to raise funds for mental health and the prevention of youth suicide in New Zealand; raise awareness of her chosen medium for world peace and humanity through creating glass art to encourage heart-to-heart bonds for all people, and to empower each individual to engage in heart-to-heart dialogue with proceeds going to charities of choice (Smiley Campaign and Soka Gakkai New Zealand [lay Buddhist organisation), and building on new works for the near future, representing her life as a Chinese New Zealand and once Office Professional, using glass as the metaphor for the light within.