Soshana: Life & Work February 4, 2009

Soshana, born Susanne Schuller in 1927 in Vienna, was forced to flee in 1938, first to Switzerland, France, England and finally New York. She had her first major exhibition in Havana in 1948, using the name Soshana as a pseudonym. Her early works are portraits and still lifes painted in a realistic naive style. Her style changed to abstract reflecting the political circumstances of the post WWII era and her reaction to world events. Soshana created her own visual language using strong expressionist strokes bringing to the surface her subconscious fears and hopes. Her work contains an underlying insecurity and existential yearning for a better time with moments of vivid clarity and hope.