Biography
Susan Hensel (b. 1950, Ithaca, NY) is a multidisciplinary artist whose sculptural textile work merges digital and manual embroidery techniques with mixed-media practices. Her work investigates the interplay between light and material structure, with a particular focus on the optical properties of triangular embroidery thread. Conceptually, Hensel’s practice engages with the emotional and ecological dimensions of climate change, creating contemplative spaces that invite reflection and the imagining of restorative futures.
Hensel holds a BFA from the University of Michigan (1972). The artist participated in over 360 exhibitions, including more than 50 solo shows. In addition to her exhibitions across the United States, her work was exhibited in Mexico, Germany, Korea, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan. Susan’s work was recognized with over 20 awards and supported by grants from the Jerome Foundation, the Minnesota State Arts Board, and Art to Change the World. She attended residencies at the Ragdale Foundation and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts.
Her scheduled exhibitions in 2025 include solo presentations in Bemidji, MN, and Ames, IA, as well as group exhibitions in Ukraine, with the Textile Study Group of New York, and Artburst.com.
Hensel’s work is held in over 30 public collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (NY), the Getty Research Institute, and the Garrett Museum of Art. Her artist book archives are housed at the University of Washington Libraries in Seattle. She lives and works in Burnsville, Minnesota.
