
Tangle
Oil on canvas
48h x 40w in
Suzanne Onodera creates lush, multi-layered abstract landscapes that blur the line between realism and abstraction. Rooted in her observations of nature, her work is defined by expressive gesture, rich color, and the physicality of paint. These atmospheric compositions evoke both chaos and serenity, inviting viewers into a world that is at once mysterious, ambiguous, and undeniably beautiful.
Before returning to fine art in 2004, Onodera spent over a decade designing immersive environments for video games at LucasArts and Electronic Arts, contributing to iconic franchises like Star Wars, Star Trek, James Bond, and Lord of the Rings. Since shifting her focus back to painting, she has exhibited widely and completed numerous private commissions. Her work has been shown by galleries including Dolby Chadwick (San Francisco), Lanoue (Boston), and Seager Gray (Mill Valley), and she is currently represented by Costello Contemporary (Scottsdale, AZ) and Argazzi Art (Connecticut).
Born in Berkeley, California, Onodera holds a BFA in painting from California College of the Arts and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been awarded residencies at Millay Arts, Caldera, VCCA, VSC, and others, and received grants from NYFA, NEA, NYSCA, and the Community Arts Partnership of Tompkins County. A Bay Area native, she now lives and paints in upstate New York.