ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Susan Carr's Emotional Alchemy: Joy, Grief, and Feminist Symbols

artist · 2026-07-09

Susan Carr, a Cape Cod-based artist, creates impactful paintings and sculptures that intertwine personal loss with feminist themes. Her artistry is characterized by vibrant colors and bold texture, focusing on deep subjects such as memory and motherhood. Carr, who obtained her MFA in 2003 from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, draws inspiration from the tragic passing of her middle son a decade ago. Recurring elements in her work include symbolic imagery like eyes and skulls, alongside sculptures crafted from wood, ceramic, and fabric, reflecting her belief in joy as a potent political statement.

Key facts

  • Susan Carr lives and works on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
  • She earned an MFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston at Tufts University in 2003.
  • She lost her middle son ten years ago, which profoundly affects her work.
  • Her paintings feature thick impasto, saturated colors, and flattened, mask-like figures.
  • Recurring symbols include eyes, skulls, cakes, butterflies, and flowers.
  • She creates wood sculptures from cut fragments of abstract paintings.
  • Her ceramic sculptures are described as 'progressive Hummel figures'.
  • Influences include James Ensor, Philip Guston, Alice Neel, and Joan Brown.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
  • Tufts University
  • AATONAU

Locations

  • Cape Cod
  • Massachusetts
  • United States

Sources