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Gina Collia-Suzuki was born July 15th, 1969, in Birmingham,
England, in the United Kingdom. A student of Western art, she
encountered Japanese woodblock prints for the first time in 1985, at age fifteen,
during a visit to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. She was immediately taken by
their striking and bold designs, the compositional skills of their artists, and the
abilities of the craftsmen responsible for carving the blocks.
In 1986, while studying for a foundation diploma in art and design,
she met world-renowned Ukiyo-e scholar Jack Hillier. He became
her mentor and friend until his passing in 1995.
In 1988, Gina attended Birmingham Institute of Art and Design
to study for a degree in ceramics and glass. Also,
under Hillier’s guidance, she began in-depth research into
the woodblock prints of Kitagawa Utamaro and their effect upon
18th century European artists. As her passion for prints increased
she diverted from three dimensional design,
eventually giving up working in clay and glass,
preferring to work in oils.
Gina began collecting Japanese woodblock prints while still a
student, concentrating on book illustrations and then
on broadsheets, focusing particularly on art created by
Kitagawa Utamaro. She devoted herself to the
study of Utamaro’s prints, concentrating her research on the specific
subjects portrayed in his illustrated books and broadsheets.
Gina's book, Utamaro Revealed, published in September
2008, is the result of that extensive research.
A few years ago Gina found herself living next to
neighbours who were a constant nuisance. This relentless and difficult experience inspired
her first work of fiction, The Wonderful Demise of Benjamin Arnold Guppy.
The novel is a satirical tale about a thirty-something housewife who is driven to murder
her elderly neighbour.
Gina currently resides and works in the southwest coast of England,
with her husband and a family of eight female rats.
Creative Artists Commnity
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