It was not long ago that international artist Dr Suzi Morris predicted the possibility of a new kind of virus like COVID-19, and for her doctorate, uncovered a new theory called “The Viral Sublime.”
Having faced the life-long challenge of coming to terms with viral keratitis (which attacks the cornea and can lead to blindness), her journey led her to connecting biological science with art – which she speaks about in-depth with Modern Painters Magazine.
Dr Suzi Morris has a unique perspective of viruses and has often had to deal with medical interventions to keep viral keratitis under control, which comes and goes, and can lead to blindness if it is not treated. There is no permanent cure for the condition and for COVID-19, we are in uncharted territory where no vaccine has been found, yet people have managed to come together to fight it.
With a majority of sufferers of coronavirus recovering fully from their experience, there is hope that humanity can thrive once more and learn about the experiences of having to deal with a pandemic of this scale. But for Suzi Morris, her journey continues, and she has often expressed what she has gone through by painting it onto canvases which she describes as “the host” of her creations.
In studying the link between biology and art, Dr Suzi Morris has seen the complexity of how treatments and vaccines are made to counteract viruses – bringing together scientists, healthcare workers and specialists in biology from all walks of life and with different life experiences.
Through her own investigations, she has seen an increased interest in her artistic viewpoint of viruses, which are explained in “The Viral Sublime” – describing how something so limitless and dangerous can both inspire fear and awe at the same time.
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, Dr Suzi Morris revealed that she would be donating 50% of proceeds from her latest paintings toward Imperial College London’s COVID-19 Research Fund.
Dr Suzi Morris has had exhibitions around the world including commissions for private collections in Los Angeles, London, Germany and Turkey to name a few and recently featured in Fact Not Fiction Films production “The Residency,” which followed a number of prominent artists at a special 10-day Residency in Nuremberg, Germany, hosted by artist manufacturer da Vinci.