Suezan Aikins is a Nova Scotia-based artist who grew up in Montreal and studied fine art at universities and art schools in New Brunswick, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. In 1984-1985, her lifelong dream was realized when she went to Japan to study traditional Japanese art techniques under internationally known artist Yoshida Toshi, and his master printers in Japan. She designs, carves, and proofs her original prints, which are printed by her husband and master printer, Sam Rogers. She has returned to Japan often afterwards for solo exhibitions and to look at art collections. Although not of Japanese ancestry, her woodblock and haiku sensei came to believe she was a Japanese man in another life. She has felt deeply connected to Japanese art and culture since childhood in a home full of Japanese friends, art, books and food. Best known for her Japanese woodblock prints, Aikins’ practice includes gold leaf/mixed media paintings and carved wood reliefs inspired by her expressive use of wood grain in her woodblock prints.
Expressing different arts of herself in various media, Aikins also creates watercolor paintings and sculptures, and has published her poems in Japanese poetic forms internationally in haiku, tanka, and renga publications. Her work has a deeply peaceful, contemplative feeling, often using a uniquely atmospheric style. Her work has been exhibited in North America, England, Japan, and Germany. A retrospective of all of her work can be viewed at www.suezan-aikins.com
