Meet Susannah Low: Designer and Artist Passionate about Ephemera

Can you recall the object/s that sparked your interest in collecting vintage ephemera?

I do remember the first ‘nonfamily’ ephemera I rescued. I was working at Penguin Books on a brief for a children’s book cover that was set in the Victorian era. I visited a small antique shop to try and conjure up some inspiration and there I purchased two things – a letterpress style tray and a small bundle of ephemera tied together with string that included postcards, photos and letters. It was like an ephemera lucky dip opening that bundle. Something clicked. There was no stopping me after that purchase, thirty years of collecting and it still excites me finding captivating antique photos and uncovering their stories.

How would you describe your art practice and design work?

My work is multi-disciplinary. I work with a combination of collage (in all its forms including digital and hand pieced), photography, mixed media and assemblage. My latest work has me exploring alternative photographic processes like cyanotype. I majored in Photomedia at university, so I feel I have finally come full circle back to what makes my heart sing.

Storytelling is integral to my practice and I like the idea of transporting people to other eras and sometimes into enchanted worlds. I try to create a connection through the objects and symbolism used to trigger nostalgia and sentiment. I describe my work as little windows into other worlds.

When an object sparks my imagination, I am usually thinking: Who did it belong to? Why did they keep it? What is it? Where is it from? How old is it? Likewise antique photographs can send me down rabbit holes on Trove to gain more understanding and to piece together stories using what little clues I have at my disposal.

Often the people in the photographs are unable to be identified and I try to be respectful in my imagined narrative. I like to think of my pieces as story prompts. Prompting people to ask the questions ‘Who are they? What is their story?’ and use their imaginations to fill in the gaps. I do like creating narratives that teeter on the edge of reality where something looks almost plausible but perhaps isn’t and is more fantastical.

How do you use the ephemera you source in your art and graphic design work?

As I am a collector as well as an artist, I quickly learned that I am unable to comfortably use original pieces of ephemera within my art. I promise I only deconstruct books that are incomplete and damaged beyond repair! I mostly scan and photograph the elements I want to use within my art.

I feel like I am starting to find a good balance of photographic, digital and hand pieced art that all sits somewhat comfortably alongside each other visually and thematically. I am also interested in exploring ways to represent collections visually and I am continually looking for creative ways to use the things I collect without damaging the originals.

Are there cultural, historical or personal themes that you interrogate in your art practice?

I am drawn to our shared experience with nature and the environment, and I like the idea that it is relatively unchanged and can link us across generations. Growing up in The Blue Mountains it is hard not to feel that connection with the natural environment. You can sit in the bush and it possibly sounds, feels and smells similar to what it did 100 years ago.

The feminine perspective also appeals. Maybe triggering my own childhood nostalgia, shared experience and sense of familiarity. As a result, many of the things I have collected relate to themes like trips to the seaside, fairs and fetes, fancy dress balls, roller skating, reading in the garden, fortune telling, picnics, waterfalls and cups of tea! I am particularly drawn to the Victorian and Edwardian era through to the 1930s however no era is out of bounds!

I hope to encourage people to question why we keep things and what we keep. The idea of identity, memory and nostalgia, through the objects we keep is valid, and can be a very special experience. It can be particularly challenging in today’s world where minimalism has been a trend for so long. It is refreshing to see maximalist décor and curated ‘clutter’ becoming an acceptable aesthetic again.

If my work piqued interest in social history, particularly Australian social history – I’d be thrilled. There are so many stories waiting to be discovered and told. I learn something new every day that surprises me about our past.

The Lady’s Realm exhibition features your current work. Describe the rationale behind this series.

My work in The Lady’s Realm exhibition marks a return to my passion for alternative photographic processes through an exploration of cyanotype. I was drawn to the distinctive blue tones and fascinating history. Developed in the nineteenth century, the process has an important connection to women’s contributions to photography. One of its earliest pioneers, Anna Atkins, used cyanotypes to create Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843), widely regarded as the first book to be illustrated with photographs.

My work draws from my collection of antique photographs, postcards, and publications such as Girl’s Own Paper, The Lady’s Realm, and Der Bazar, bringing together fragments of the past and present. Layered with botanicals, feathers, and handmade lace, the works reference Victorian-era pursuits including flower pressing, natural history, fancywork and photography, revealing the crossover of creativity, science, and domestic life. These works create an ethereal space where history and imagination converge.

The Lady’s Realm exhibition is on show at the Ivanhoe Library & Cultural hub until 12 July 2026.

To discover more of Susannah’s story and creative practice, enjoy the following:

Visit The Lady’s Realm exhibition in Ivanhoe, Victoria 

Meet Susannah and listen to her presentation at the ESA Annual Symposium on 12 September 2026

Read the article written by Laura Freeman and published in Image Science digital newsletter, October 2024

To see recent work and to keep updated about upcoming exhibitions and projects follow Susannah Low on Instagram at @susannahlowstudio

For all other enquiries, contact Susannah through her website