Susan Debnam

Susan Debnam is a painter and sculptor based in Aldringham, Suffolk.

In 2026 she graduated with an MA Fine Art (Distinction) from Norwich University of the Arts with work accepted for exhibition at the V&A London.

Susan’s creative focus evolved at an early stage within a family of craftsmen and women. Weaving, wood-carving, basketry and more expanded into a lifelong fascination with photography and (in her 20s) processing images in her own dark room.

Susan’s interest in painting was ignited in 2012 whilst living and working in the Middle East. By 2020 her career in organisational change consultancy had given way to the full-time development of her artistic practice. Tutorial input included artists from across the UK and a two year programme from California. Her work in acrylic and oil evolved into abstracted still life and landscape. Gallery representation across the region embraced both mixed and solo exhibitions.

The MA prompted an unexpected and exhilarating shift in focus, scale and process. She was encouraged to explore wood, metal, plaster and spontaneously accumulated materials. She learned to weld, to sculpt and create objects that extended beyond her physical span, often working intuitively, driven by her response to materials, memory or an internal impulse. Her final submission included an installation formed from fourteen welded metal armatures wrapped in plaster and scrim extending vertically to nine metres. Her first solo exhibition of sculptural work took place at the Watch House in Orford in June 2026.

Susan’s current concerns continue with her research into the role of ambiguity as a generative force within creativity and with the agency of repetition in making. She has tentative plans for two further solo exhibitions in 2027 and is intrigued to discover how her sculptural work and painting might share space.