Sunna Wathen

Sunna Wathen's connection to Deià runs deep and includes a family of friends that spans many countries and nearly 60 years of community. 

Born in Athens, Greece, of British and Icelandic parents, Sunna arrived in Deia in 1966 aged two. For many years, she travelled, with Deià always in between. Today she lives with her Mallorquin husband in the unusual house her father built, and in which her own two children also grew up.

Growing up in Deià in the 60's and 70's, Sunna was surrounded by artists, writers, and musicians of all kinds. Her first studio was a fruit box in a friend's kitchen when she was 6 years old. Today she has a larger studio space in the old quarter of Palma.

Sunna gained her Foundation in Art at Kingston Polytechnic, her Diploma in Art from The Byam Shaw School of Art, and her masters from The Royal College of Art, London. 

She began with painting but, feeling that it constrained her to a flat square or rectangle, she expanded into installation. While living in Berlin, she made a mountain out of 400 bread shapes lit from within so it looked like lava, lace, bone and dried fish. As artist in residence at the Derby Museum of Art she bound an entire tree in wool. She made a sail for her wooden boat out of X-rays and set out to sea. More recently, she made embroidered tapestries. 

'My work goes in ripples and waves and patterns and regurgitations' Sunna says.

 Now she has come full circle and embraced the huge window that is painting. Working in oil and acrylic, she shares glimpses of her beloved Deià landscape and a lifetime of people, rock, and sea. 

Instagram is @sunnawathen

Website is sunnawathen.org