Susan R. Kirshenbaum is a San Francisco-based figurative artist whose expressive, gestural work reflects a fresh, contemporary perspective on the female form that captures a moment and reflects an intimacy with her subjects. Kirshenbaum was encouraged early in life to pursue art. She grew up in a family of visual artists who started an art school, the Ivy School of Professional Art, in Pittsburgh, PA where she studied and worked throughout her life. At 15 her father guided the family on an extensive art tour of Europe, initiating a life-long travel bug and love of museums. Since Ivy, she’s studied at SFAI, CCA, UC Berkeley Extension, Kala, City College, and in Girona, Spain.
Kirshenbaum has only recently returned to full-time art making after a long hiatus working as a creative director in marketing. During her official re-launch in 2016, she created several new series and introduced them in three year-end art shows, including a solo exhibition at The Laundry, in the Mission. Over the years, Kirshenbaum has exhibited in group and solo shows in Pittsburgh, Sonoma County, and San Francisco. Her works are in collections nationally and internationally. Living and working in San Francisco, CA since 1980, she’s taken several breaks to live in Hawaii, NYC, and Spain. She can be found making art at her hilltop home with her cats and husband nearby.
