S o o s a n S u r y a w a n
is an American fine artist who seeks to build a bridge between Indigenous cultures and the modern world
In 1980 Suryawan received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. In 1978 she participated in the school’s honor program in Rome, which marked the beginning of her lifelong interest in diverse cultures of the world. She pursued studies and travels in Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Greece and the West Indies before settling in Bali, Indonesia in 1980.
From 1980–2002 Suryawan lived in Bali, drawing inspiration from its rich culture and incredible natural wonders. In this land of beauty and dignity she realized that life among the people of Bali was the most harmonious collaboration between man and nature that she had ever witnessed.
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This perfect harmony would influence her paintings and philosophy. It was in Bali that she met and married her Chinese-Balinese husband Wana Suryawan. Wana was a teacher of Persia Diri; a martial art form based in Indonesia with origins in the Shaolin temples of China. They lived together in Bali with their three lovely children Putu Agustina, Made Nava and Komang Bayusana until Wana’s sudden death in 1999. In October of 2002, Bali experienced the largest terrorist bombing after 9/11. The climate in Bali changed dramatically overnight, leading Suryawan to leave her home of 22 years to establish residence in Los Angeles.
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After settling in Los Angeles Suryawan began to explore drawing and painting inspired by the landscapes and people she encountered in her travels in Tulum, Palangue and San Cristóbal de las Casas (Mexico); La Gran Sabana and Roraima (Venezuela); Can Serrat Artist Residency in Monserrat (Catalonia); Tourrettes-sur-Loup (France); Morocco; La Paz (Bolivia); Lake Titicaca (Bolivia/Peru); Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu (Peru); Moonscape (Brazil); Bogotá and Ciudad Perdida (Colombia).
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During her residency in Asia, Suryawan was represented by Parisian art dealer Agnes Verrier. Suryawan's paintings are held in important private collections in Paris, Geneva, Basil, Zurich, Amsterdam, Washington DC, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Kuala Lumpur, Bali, and at the Lorin Christy Gallery in Singapore.