Susan Esther Wald, born on December 22, 1952, is an established Australian visual artist known for her compelling work in painting, drawing, and printmaking. Over the course of her prolific career, Wald has held twenty solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group shows, gaining recognition for her distinctive artistic approach and deep thematic explorations of human mortality, emotional resonance, and the essence of experience.
After her marriage, Wald—who went by “Mittelman”—took the name Susan Wald in 2004. Born to Polish Jewish refugees who arrived in Melbourne, Australia, in 1949 as they fled World War II, she is the oldest of three daughters. Her artistic perspective and thematic choices have been greatly impacted by her ethnicity and her family’s experiences.
Following a career in the arts, Wald graduated from Victoria College, Prahran, in 1991 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, painting major. Her fruitful career began when she was awarded the prestigious Dean’s Acquisitive Prize, in recognition of her exceptional talent. The deep conviction that painting has the ability to reflect and interact with the complexity of the world is evident in Wald’s work. Her art delves into personal experiences, emotions, and responses, striving to uncover truths that resonate with both herself and her audience.
Maria Zagala, associate curator of prints and drawings at the Art Gallery of South Australia, has noted Wald’s ability to translate the psychological revelations of theatre into the symbolic language of light and dark through her monotypes. Zagala writes, “The monotype allows her to translate the psychological revelation of the theatre into the symbolic language of light and dark. Wald’s interest in the theatre is about the metaphoric space of the stage. Her subject is human nature, and she approaches its painful limits through the representation of the human body in the moment of performance.”
Dr. Christopher Heathcote, a noted art critic, has also remarked on Wald’s drawings and paintings, stating that “Some inner truth is externalized, is being pressed out. Susan Wald handles the solitary nude as if it is a vehicle for stating our mortality.”
Central to Wald’s practice is the notion of bearing witness, a theme she explores in various subjects and environments, from theatre rehearsals and abattoirs to the expansive landscapes of Lake Mungo. Her artistic journey has been enriched by collaborations with fellow creatives across different disciplines. In 2010, she worked with director Adena Jacobs and her company, Fraught Outfit, on a project that involved recording performances through drawing, painting, and printmaking. The works produced in this collaboration, particularly those accompanying the performance of Sophocles’ Elektra, were lauded for capturing the essence of the experience, transcending mere illustrations to convey the emotional charge and atmosphere of the production.
Wald has showcased her work in solo exhibitions and group shows at prestigious venues, demonstrating the breadth and depth of her artistic vision. Her ‘Mungo’ exhibition at the Mildura Arts Centre is particularly noteworthy, as it revealed a connection in method and technique to her figurative drawings and paintings while engaging with the rich tradition of Australian landscape painting.
Her works are part of numerous public and private collections across Australia, including the Australian National Gallery, Australian Catholic University, and the State Library of Victoria. Wald’s contributions to the artistic landscape have been recognized through several awards, including the Dean’s Acquisitive Prize in 1991, the Print Council of Australia’s 2019 Print Commission and other accolades such as the Mornington Peninsula Prints Acquisitive Award and the David Rosenthal Acquisitive Award. In addition to her exhibition history and accolades, Wald’s artistic legacy is further cemented by the publication of her book Theatre Monoprints 2012-14, part of Metasenta’s Small Book series in 2014.
Susan Wald’s artistic journey is defined by her unwavering commitment to exploring the human experience through painting, drawing, and printmaking. Her evocative works invite viewers to contemplate the complexities of existence, from fleeting moments of theatrical performance to timeless landscapes that bear witness to the passage of time. As a Melbourne-based artist with a global perspective, Wald continues to inspire and provoke with her thought-provoking creations.
