Indivi Sutton
Capturing dreamy scenes of colour magic on canvas, Sydney-based Indivi Sutton uses emotions and memories in her ethereal art.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Petrina Tinslay
“I have lived in a journey of creating all my life,” says Indivi Sutton. Photo: Petrina Tinslay
Photo: Petrina Tinslay
Originally born and bred in New York City, Indivi Sutton experienced the magical world of art from an early age at her Rudolf Steiner School. Here, her memories began and feed into her artworks today—using tone and light to capture the ethereal nature of remembering.
“My early education was rooted in the philosophy that children should remain in the "Kingdom of Childhood" for as long as possible,” Indivi shares. “The resonance of this philosophy was that we were shown how to connect with nature and all her expressions.”
One influential person left a lasting impact on the young artist. “When I was thirteen, I met Paton Miller, an American contemporary painter whose work embodies his personal stories and adventures,” she remembers. “During the three years together, Paton became a mentor, friend and even father figure.” This relationship led Indivi to discover a world beyond representation and into one of experimentation of materials, layers, and adaptation.
Another figure also emerged through covid, much later, after the USA-born artist moved to her parents’ home country, Australia. In 2020, as Indivi started her second year at Sydney College of the Arts, and as the world entered lockdowns, the artist reached out to artist Antonia Mrljak to work as her assistant. “Her generosity of spirit has been instrumental for me trusting my process and experimentation,” Indivi shares. “Helping me see a world beyond the literal, becoming one with my emotions and holding them close to my heart.”
Lustre of Living by Indivi Sutton. Photo: Jacqui Turk
“I learnt to let go of perfect expectations and understand that a drawing did not have to make sense,” says Indivi Sutton. Photo: Petrina Tinslay
“My connection to art is cellular, not until I begin a painting, and I deeply feel it am I able to go further. But that is also how my life and practice has been so far, layers of discovery.”
“I’m naturally curious, and I keep that as precious inspiration, to be free to conjure the idea of something and follow that path wherever it may lead,” says Indivi Sutton. Photo: Petrina Tinslay
Indivi’s inspirations stem from her many travels across the world and the diverse cultures she has met along the way. In particular, she remembers experiencing Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gateson the way to school in Central Park. Named as one of the world’s largest works of art, it was the colours that buried their way into Indivi’s memories.
“The power of the overwhelming orange evoked within me, the feeling of warmth, excitement and how in a colour they embraced the energy that was abundant all around,” she fondly recalls. “And then it snowed, the entirety of Central Park became still, as I walked the familiar paths I was transported into a world of white and orange.”
The painting process is not one Indivi describes as cellular; instead, it is a process of discovery as she reveals colour and form on the canvas. Emotions are the real medium which reveals themselves in tones and pigment powder. By using the powder, the artist is able to reach that dream-like reflection in her art, but really, the works are at heart, an ode to colour.
“I feel like my practice is my way for me to express my inner connection to the world, so my journey will be its evolution,” says the young artist. “Art always has a relation to the spirit, understood through creating and experiencing it—I just want to be present to myself and open to life.”
For the artist, Saint Cloche gallery was one of the first art spaces she visited when she arrived in Sydney in 2016. To be included in ‘Nautilus’ and ‘The Little Things Art Prize’ (both 2020), curated by Kitty Clark, has been a highlight. We can expect bigger things to come — stay tuned for Indivi’s first solo at the gallery this coming June.
