In 2016, I entered a competition for the 14th Annual Art in Motion Showcase, alongside work submitted by over 100 artists from across the country. The professional pieces selected for this exhibition—as well as the works chosen for awards—were juried by James Rondeau, President of The Art Institute of Chicago.
My painting, titled Confusion, was honored with the 2nd Place Award.
I created Confusion in July 2015, shortly after celebrating my 60th birthday. That moment in life felt like more than a milestone—it felt like a turning point. A quiet invitation to reflect, to question, and to look inward.
The following is the artist statement I wrote in 2016 for the Art in Motion catalog:
Artist Statement – Confusion
I titled my painting Confusion because women constantly feel the need to re-examine and redefine themselves within society as they grow older. This process can be both daunting and frightening.
I began by painting myself as a girl, then as a young woman, then as an adult woman, and finally as an older and more mature version of myself—someone who still felt unfamiliar.
As I painted the many faces of my life, I realized something deeply personal: I still did not know what my next face would look like as I moved gracefully into my late sixties and on.
Sue Turayhi
And I’ve come to believe this:
My story is not only mine. It is the story of many women.
Because we are always evolving—learning, changing, healing, and becoming.
The Faces We Grow Into
In 2016, I entered a competition for the 14th Annual Art in Motion Showcase, alongside work submitted by over 100 artists from across the country. The professional pieces selected for this exhibition—as well as the works chosen for awards—were juried by James Rondeau, President of The Art Institute of Chicago.
My painting, titled Confusion, was honored with the 2nd Place Award.
I created Confusion in July 2015, shortly after celebrating my 60th birthday. That moment in life felt like more than a milestone—it felt like a turning point. A quiet invitation to reflect, to question, and to look inward.
The following is the artist statement I wrote in 2016 for the Art in Motion catalog:
Artist Statement – Confusion
I titled my painting Confusion because women constantly feel the need to re-examine and redefine themselves within society as they grow older. This process can be both daunting and frightening.
I began by painting myself as a girl, then as a young woman, then as an adult woman, and finally as an older and more mature version of myself—someone who still felt unfamiliar.
As I painted the many faces of my life, I realized something deeply personal:
I still did not know what my next face would look like as I moved gracefully into my late sixties and on.
Sue Turayhi
And I’ve come to believe this:
My story is not only mine.
It is the story of many women.
Because we are always evolving—learning, changing, healing, and becoming.
We are all growing into new faces.
What is your story?