Suri's artistic journey began with an immersive European Honours Programme in Rome through the Rhode Island School of Design, where her focus on painting, printmaking, and glass (under the tutelage of Dale Chihuly), laid the foundation for her artistic exploration.
Suri's passion for ceramics ignited during weekly studio courses at Oxford College, and flourished when she established her studio in a converted caravan within her garden. She aims to merge functionality with sculptural elegance, artistry and grace.
She specialises in the intricate Nerikomi ceramic technique, tracing its roots back to 7th-century China. By infusing coloured stains into porcelain, she achieves captivating patterns without surface painting. Suri's method resembles the creation of a "Battenberg cake," meticulously layering coloured clay, cutting and reconfiguring the slices multiple times to craft intricate designs. Employing book symmetry, she arranges the patterned slices, shaping them with precision into elegant forms. Her process, spanning 6-8 weeks, allows for the necessary resting and drying time at each stage, culminating in carefully fired and glazed vessels.
Driven by a desire to express her painterly instincts through clay, Suri revels in the interplay of vibrant colours against the canvas of white porcelain. Inspired by ceramic artists like Carolyn Genders, Maria ten Kortenaar, and Curtis Benzle, she embraces "happy accidents," fostering spontaneity in her use of colour and pattern.
Innovation is at the core of Suri's practice. Overcoming the challenge of arthritis affecting her ability to use brushes, she pivoted towards the Nerikomi technique. This shift enabled her to infuse colour and decoration within the clay itself, bypassing traditional brushwork. Continual experimentation with materials and techniques enable her to realise her artistic vision.
Suri's art seeks to resonate not only through its intricate patterns and forms but also through delicate beauty.