Susan Furneaux (she/her) is a Canadian craft artist based in Ktaqmkuk, Newfoundland and Labrador. Susan Furneaux's practice is a lifelong dialogue with the natural world. Through a holistic, deeply personal relationship with these raw materials, Furneaux's art explores the sacredness of the land from a Canadian settler perspective. She combines the tradition of ecclesiastical hand embroidery with materials such as antique metal threads, fish skins, paper made with dandelion seeds, and beads made with bits and pieces of found animal bones, teeth, and insect wings, creating finely crafted pieces that celebrate the wonder and reverence of the natural world. She often incorporates antique handmade textiles to remember those who have come before her. Susan sees these materials as sacrificial, to appease the Earth for damage caused by end-stage capitalism. The work often takes the form of items traditionally used in Christian worship, as an ironic nod to the eradication of land-based religions through Christian colonialism. Although Susan’s work carries a heavy message, her work does not have a sombre aesthetic. Susan aims for people to see her love of the natural world through her creations and process, to thoughtfully consider the past and the reality of the present for our home, and to carry the message forward.
Her exceptional contributions to craft and art have earned her prestigious honours, including the 2022 VANL-CARFAC Endurance Award, the 2024 ArtsNL Arts in Education Award, and the 2026 Premier's Medal for the Arts. Alongside her studio production, Furneaux maintains a deep commitment to mentorship and education. By marrying pedagogical sharing with contemporary craft art techniques, she seeks to bridge our shared personal histories. Her exhibitions and workshops offer a quiet, sensory space to contemplate our interconnectedness with changing environments and the sanctuary found in nature.
From Susan
Intimacy with materials—in process, usage, and place—is the foundation of my work. I grow, nurture, forage, and process my materials, blurring the line between my art and my lifestyle. The seasons and the natural ebbs and flows of the environment are deeply honoured and present in everything I create. My art practice is a ritual of connection and integration with my surroundings, where the continuous cycle of life and death is ever-present.
Utilizing both traditional and unexpected natural fibres alongside found objects, I create finely crafted pieces that showcase the infinite possibilities of textile materials sourced from urban greenspaces, boreal forests and peat bogs surrounding St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. My work honours my settler ancestors' tradition of "making do"—a legacy of skilled makers who resourcefully created beauty from what was readily available.
I have always prioritized reciprocal knowledge sharing within my practice through craft workshops, teaching, and mentorship. My work is one of constant learning and skill-sharing, intended not only to sustain my own creative path but to enrich my community's access, knowledge, and creative resilience.