A Much Loved Impresario At Home In London's Holland Park
I recently had the chance to spend some time with Sue Kreitzman, a woman who truly defies description. Once a successful food writer and television chef, Sue made a dramatic leap into the world of art later in life, becoming one of Britain’s most distinctive outsider artists.
Sue’s home, tucked away in South East London, is a living gallery. Every surface pulses with energy — bold paintings, decorated objects, vibrant shrines and mythic figures, many created using found materials, nail varnish, and vivid paint. Her work is a celebration of individuality, strong women, and the sheer joy of creativity. It’s loud, fearless, and gloriously eccentric – the complete opposite of beige thinking, both in art and in life. (I was, I admit, wearing my favourite beige trousers that day, but Sue managed to forgive me.)
During our conversation, Sue talked about her lifelong passion for self-expression and her determination to live life in full colour. She’s a brilliant reminder that it’s never too late to reinvent yourself — and that true creativity has no rules. And thanks to her, I can now add “salt beef beigel addict” to my list of achievements. She introduced me to my very first one, and I’m officially hooked.
Art That Fills a Home and a Life
The photographs I took for my At Home project try to capture the powerful sense of character that fills every corner of Sue’s world. Behind Sue’s famous red chair, there’s a painting by Diane Goldie; opposite, a striking piece by Ella Guru of Sue, Anne Sophie Cochevelou and the Barbies — a typical flash of the humour and imagination that runs through the whole house.
In another of the photos, Sue stands proudly with a wall of her own art behind her – a collection of richly embellished pieces that reflect her fierce individuality and lifelong refusal to blend in.
It was a real privilege to meet and photograph someone who lives their truth with such boldness and generosity. Spending a few hours in Sue Kreitzman’s world is a reminder that life is richer, stranger, and far more exciting when you let yourself colour outside the lines.
