Artwork copyright Susan Aurand. Photo courtesy of the artist, 1983.

Private Wish, 1981

Susan Aurand
American (born 1950)

Location: Central Washington University, Ellensburg

About the Artwork

Private Wish is part of artist Susan Aurand’s series of paper sculptures titled “Objects for an Early Spring.” These works draw inspiration from many sources, including Native American motifs, Japanese kites, and ritual objects. She created the rich color in this piece by soaking Japanese rice papers in pigment. She notes that this piece is “intended to be a visual wish or charm to hasten the coming of a cool, sensuous, early spring morning.”

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Central Washington University.

About the Artist

Susan Aurand is a painter based in Olympia, Washington. She states that her work is "inspired by my passion for nature and my deep interest in symbols, metaphor, memory, and consciousness."
Aurand taught sculpture, ceramics, drawing, painting, art history, and humanities at The Evergreen State College from 1974 to 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kalamazoo College, Michigan, in 1972 and a Master of Arts degree from Ohio State University in 1974.