ABOUT THE ARTIST 

Susan Cua’s artwork is not merely a craft but the very rhythm of her days; her deepest passion, the heartbeat of her creative life. Born in the Philippines to an old influential and affluent Filipino Chinese family and now a long time local of Evanston, Illinois, she weaves together her love of painting, music, travel, and cultural heritage to create evocative, soulful pieces with a mindset of lasting continuity. 

 

From childhood in Manila where at age 11 she crafted a drawing of The Merchant of Venice for her school art exhibit, Cua carried with her a dream of expression and belonging. After moving to the U.S. at age 18 and settling in the Chicago/Evanston area, she found a community that embraced her style and spirit. Evanston’s supportive arts scene helped her flourish - a big thank you to the north shore's most active and largest art group. 

 

Alongside her painting, Susan has long been drawn to music - studying piano performance and music therapy, teaching piano part time—even as painting became her primary focus. Travel has become a cornerstone of her process: each fall she traditionally spends time in Paris (and then in other European cities and regions), soaking in architecture, light, atmosphere—elements that find their way into her canvases. When she returns to Evanston, she shifts from teaching piano toward devoting more time to painting. Each piece becomes a reflection of the places she has visited, the cultures she has experienced, the beauty she has seen.

 

As a longtime resident and community member of Evanston, Susan benefits from and contributes to a rich local arts ecosystem. She rents studio space at the Greenleaf Art Center in Rogers Park and works closely with other Evanston and Chicago area artists. She collaborates with local partners to display her work; for example, her pieces once adorned the walls of the Filipino American owned café Coffee Lab in Evanston, which has positioned itself as a mini gallery for local artists during its influential times. Through her involvement with Evanston Made, she has shared her portfolio and story, aligning her personal journey with the local art making community. Her Chinese Filipino American heritage informs her work and connects her to multicultural dialogues in the region’s art scene.

 

Susan's artistic goal and mission is to transport viewers—to offer them a moment of pause, stillness, or wonder. Through her art she invites us to see the world as she sees it: rich, diverse, alive with beauty. She hopes her paintings spark joy, curiosity, and connection. She continuously strives to grow as an artist: to explore new places, new cultures, new vistas—and to share that journey through her painting and her love for playing the piano.