To exhibit at Paris Design Week is a dream come true for any emerging designer. New Zealand artist and designer Susan Christie has been invited to exhibit her ceramic work at this influential event attended by designers from all over the globe.
Susan Christie graduated from AUT Art and Design School in 2015 and started up her own business less than a year ago. "To say I was excited was an under statement, but I was also thinking how on earth have they heard about me? The answer was Instagram no less. It was while at AUT, that Jaime Derringer from America and Susan connected on Instagram. We loved each others paintings and would comment on each others work. At this time, Susan had no idea that Jaime was a huge international name in the design world. Jaime Derringer has literally hundreds of thousands of people following her four Milk Design Instagram accounts and her "The Clever" podcast channel. When @milkdesigneveryday reposted one of Susan's ceramic images things started to happen. "When I logged onto my Instagram account all of a sudden I had a few more hundred followers! Then companies from America and Germany started to contact me." 'It was great to get validation for my work." It was a few months later that Meet my Project from France approached Susan with the invitation to exhibit along side 40 other designers from 20 different countries. They had found Susan on the @designmilkeveryday Instagram feed.
Susan believes social media is a vital tool for the art and design world as it allows communities of like minded people to chat informally as well as providing a unique platform for showcasing work internationally. "To think I can access the world from my home studio is mind blowing and very empowering for a new designer. Social media has changed the way creatives can show their work and reveal the way it is made."
Susan's ceramics offer a contemporary spin to an ancient art form. The bold lines and striking asymmetry are created by a unique process of cutting and folding the clay. "I am interested in exploring clean lines and interesting shapes while always searching for that element of surprise in the way in which the lines and planes intersect."
Susan will take a number of her ceramic works to exhibit at the Via Gallery in Paris from 7 - 14 September.
Susan is also a painter and product designer and her work can be viewed at www.formantics.co.nz or on Instagram @formantics.