Susan Scafati is an Austin-based, American conceptual artist whose multidisciplinary practice centers around creating light metaphors to reflect on destabilizing archetypes and cultures in flux. She is known for large-scale plexiglass and photo-based installations. Scafati has investigated how meaning is made across multiple subjects, including smart phones, archives, domestic spaces, and European bullfights. Her art has taken the form of sun-print, darkroom, and digital photo-based works; mixed-media installations (including of plexiglass, wood, marble, textiles); performances; and videos. Career experiences and artist residencies have led her to work/research abroad in Italy, France, London, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia.
Scafati has exhibited in galleries and museums, as well as public spaces, and given art talks to many institutions and organizations. Recent major commissions include a 4-story installation featured at the Facebook office; a 2-story installation in Austin Central Library’s windows; and an 111-foot installation featured at the Texas Cultural Trust’s Texas Medal of Arts Awards biennial. She was selected by The Contemporary Austin to be the museum’s 2019
Contemporary Print Artist — a recognition that highlights outstanding artists and commissions a print for their collection. She was selected by Cindy Sherman, Adam Fuss, and Jack Pierson in 2004 as a next emerging artist. Additionally, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, artist-in-residences, and grants, including the City of Austin's Cultural Arts funding for 7 years in a row.
Exhibitions have included Unframed First Look at Sean Kelly Gallery, NY (curated by Cindy Sherman, Adam Fuss, and Jack Pierson); The Photo Review at Sol Mednick Gallery, PA (curated by Museum of Modern Art/ MoMA Curator Sarah Meister); Goya: Mad Reason at The Blanton Museum (curated by Douglas Cushing); t e x t s c a p e at Co-Lab Projects’ DEMO Gallery; and, with Lake Were Rivers, in Strange Pilgrims at The Contemporary Austin (curated by Heather Pesanti), Contemporary Photographic Practice and the Archive at Harry Ransom Center, and Texas Biennial at Blue Star Contemporary.