Susannah’s current work is inspired by medieval religious sculpture, (with a bit of baroque excess) and our understanding of the past. The ‘Here be Dragons’ pieces highlight man’s naivety around the natural world. It is a delightful treasure trove of possibilities that looks at the human connection with nature and the curious desire to possess, rather than simply observe and learn.

To create this collection, Susannah is currently working with ceramics that can be used as architectural embellishment or for conservation repair. “The tradition of artist and engineer working together to make buildings and structures is now lost; architects do not feel confident in the embellishment of buildings. Whether it be scrolls, figures or creatures, if you incorporated them into your building design, you will be judged for your ‘taste’. We are given buildings and monuments that have quality materials, but no brave personality.”

Susannah is using painting and gilding instead of glazing. “I am primarily a sculptor and ceramics is my most useful material. I am interested in ceramics as part of the architecture of a space and I am working on a stoneware suitable for conservation repair or as part of the exterior of buildings. I am interested in single fired ceramics as glazing is both unreliable and very unecological (there are a lot of chemicals involved and additional firings).”

In parallel, Susannah is making individual sculptures, also with an historical context. “As an illustrator, I love allegory in art and all my work has a storyline. I am always learning from historical sculpture and I want to make beautiful pieces that tell a story. My work will be both familiar and experimental.”

Susannah Peacock has a background in art, architecture, design, cartography and illustration. She has worked in conservation architecture, public art, set design and curation. As a Project Manager for groundbreaking urban design company City ID, Susannah edited and contributed to the first Public Art Advisory booklet for Bristol City Council encouraging the inclusion of art and creative thinking at the inception of public realm projects. Over a 10 year period, she also coordinated over 100 street based art and design projects and complex cartography projects. Subsequently, Susannah worked in illustration which has resulted in a long term collaboration with Portfolio Cards where her designs are sold internationally. However, Susannah’s first love is sculpture and architectural design.

Susannah has been working on a large collection of medieval inspired creatures and gods, her medieval map has just been the centrepiece of the Fringe Arts Bath Festival and there is new work coming out very soon.

Please follow @susannahpeacocksculpture2022 on Instagram for updates.