Artist, ocean lover, and longtime coastal resident Sug. O’Shen paints with global waters. She was inspired after seeing people who’d never been to the beach before going home with only a T-shirt or car decal as a memory. So she thought to herself, Wouldn’t it be amazing if they could take the ocean home?
Soon she was adding seawater to her medium: a fluid and unpredictable ink that, to her, shares many of the ocean’s characteristics. And that’s when the magic happened. Soon, friends and world travelers began collecting lake water, ocean water, geyser water any type of meaningful water during their adventures so she could create one-of-a-kind artworks commemorating their experiences.
Today Sug. creates custom artworks for people all over the world with water they send her from meaningful places in their lives creating her unique artworks as keepsake memories from their experiences. She partnered with the Everglades Foundation creating artworks with water from different locations throughout the Everglades to bring attention to the importance of its preservation. Sug. has created art for the collections of big and small corporations and has collaborated with architects, foundations and surfing organizations around the world. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants including The Andy Warhol Foundation Power Plant Grant, The Indy Arts Council and the Greater Greensboro Arts Association to name a few.
To this day nothing brings Sug. more joy than to work with individuals who send her water in order to create and preserve special memories through her artwork.
“We sent water to Sug. from our childhood lake home after our parents passed. She created gorgeous paintings for my sisters and I that we will all cherish forever. Could not think of a more meaningful and beautiful way to honor our folks.”
