Early Life and Artistic Training

Suzan Drummen was born in 1963 in Heerlen, The Netherlands. Her path as a visual artist began to take shape through a series of formal studies in the Netherlands. From 1982 to 1987, she spent her time at the Stadsacademie voor Toegepaste Kunsten in Maastricht, focusing her studies on monumental painting.

Following her time in Maastricht, she moved into post-graduate training. She studied at the Jan van Eyckacademie in Maastricht between 1987 and 1988. This was followed by two years at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, where she remained from 1988 until 1990. In 1991, she spent time at the Instituto Olandese Roma.

By 1991, she was working as a visual artist. Her training across these different institutions provided the foundation for the way she handles space and materials in her later practice.

Technique and Artistic Style

The work begins with a fascination for the act of looking. Since becoming active as a visual artist in 1991, Suzan Drummen has used paintings, photos, films, and installations to investigate what the eye can hold. There is a tension in the way these pieces are constructed. From a distance, a work might appear clear and orderly, but as one moves closer, the abundance of detail and visual stimuli begins to disorient. This shift from clarity to confusion is a central part of her practice.

She builds her compositions using materials that catch and throw back light. Crystal, chrome metal, gemstones, mirrors, and optical glass are common in her practice. These elements allow her to explore the threshold between beauty and something more unsettling. The pieces often exist in a state of contradiction; they are attractive, yet they can become so over the top that they feel nauseating. This push and pull explores how an object can simultaneously seduce and repel the viewer.

Her approach often involves playing with space and illusion. In some works, such as her "lying paintings," the arrangement of materials creates a sense of three-dimensional texture. This method turns the act of observation into a physical experience of disorientation and sensory overload.

Commissions and Public Works

Much of her practice moves into the public sphere, where she works on commission. These projects are rarely solitary endeavors; they emerge from close collaboration with architects and specific clients to fit the intended space. The scale of these works often shifts to meet the requirements of the environment, moving from the intimate to the architectural.

Her presence in public spaces is marked by installations that respond to the specific geometry and purpose of a site. In 2018, she completed a commission for a parking garage. Later, her work moved into more formal and cultural settings, including an installation for the Royal Palace in 2020. These pieces occupy the space between the viewer and the structure, often using light and reflection to change how a room is perceived.

The recent years have seen her work integrated into several large-scale environments. She completed installations for the Depot Boijmans and TAC Eindhoven in 2021. By 2022, her work was situated in Loods 6. These projects show a consistent interest in how her materials interact with the light and the movement of people passing through a space.

• Parkingarage (2018)
• Royal Palace (2020)
• Depot Boijmans (2021)
• TAC Eindhoven (2021)
• Loods 6 (2022)

Where to See the Works Today

Her pieces reside in various museums and public buildings throughout the Netherlands. You can find her work within the collections of the Centraal Museum in Utrecht and the Museum van Bommel van Dam in Venlo. These locations hold works that reflect her long-standing interest in how we look at the world.

Beyond these permanent collections, her presence has been felt in international spaces. She held an exhibition at the Kunsthalle Wilhelmshaven from March 24 to May 19, 2002. This history of showing work in different settings follows her practice of moving between private studio creation and large-scale presence in the public sphere.