Student graduate Susie Dalton has been awarded the Wasps Award for her work in the Leith School of Art Contemporary Art Practice Exhibition. Susie Dalton has been awarded an exhibition with Wasps at South Block for the upcoming programme year.

The Wasps Award is given to contemporary emerging artists. Susie Dalton was chosen for her poetic and poignant reflection on lockdown life manifesting itself in beautiful sculptural form. Read on as we speak to Susie about her work, the wonderful piece selected for the award, and her plans for her South Block exhibition.

Susie Dalton

Tell us a little about your practice and work in the RSA Annual Exhibition

I’m a visual artist, and I work a lot with clay. I like how tactile and versatile clay is and how it gives opportunities to put form to feelings and experience, especially those which are difficult to articulate.

My work in the exhibition explores the transformative impact of social isolation. Since lockdown measures were introduced, I’ve spent the vast majority of my time alone in my flat, with only the sun for company. To capture this companionship, I made 459 porcelain tiles, one for every day since social restrictions began, and treated them with chemicals which turn blue in sunlight. I placed them all over my living space, and now each one now has an irreversible record of the light and dark that touched it.

Susie Dalton's sculptural work - bisque fired porcelain pieces painted with cyanotype which reacts to the sun

What are your hopes for your awarded exhibition at South Block?

I’m really excited to exhibit work in South Block. It’s such an inviting and sociable space, and the opportunity to show work in a place where people get to relax and connect in person feels particularly precious at the moment. I’m looking forward to using the time between now and the exhibition to develop a few ideas and make new work.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Wasps for the award, and to Leith School of Art for the support and guidance they’ve given over the last year.

See more of Susie’s work at @susierosedalton and look out for news of her upcoming exhibition at South Block.

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