Vivian Suter's Nature-Infused Paintings Gain International Recognition After Guatemalan Hurricane

Vivian Suter's artistic practice transformed dramatically after Hurricane Stan devastated her Guatemalan studio in 2005, destroying thousands of canvases. Rather than protecting her work from the elements, she began deliberately exposing paintings to rain, leaves, and animal activity in her garden. This embrace of natural processes has brought her renewed attention, with recent exhibitions at Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, Kunsthalle Basel, and the São Paulo Bienal. Born in Buenos Aires and raised in Basel, Suter moved to Panajachel, Guatemala in 1982 during the country's civil war, purchasing a former coffee plantation where she still works. Her current London projects include an exhibition at Camden Arts Centre (January 16–April 5) and a ceiling installation for Stratford tube station through Art on the Underground (opening June 18). Work will also appear at Tate Liverpool from December 13 to May 3. Suter's early career included shows at Basel's Stampa gallery and inclusion in the 1978 exhibition '6 Artists from Basel' at Kunsthalle Basel. Curator Adam Szymczyk rediscovered her work in 2004, leading to participation in Documenta 14 (2017) and the Taipei Biennial (2019). She creates paintings using household paint mixed with glue, leaving canvases outdoors to accumulate organic matter before storing them in a whitewashed barn studio. Her mother, artist Elizabeth Wild, lives nearby and has exhibited alongside her.