Viewing Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon

Sue Webster: Birth of an Icon is the striking new solo exhibition by British artist Sue Webster at Firstsite in Colchester. This marks her first major institutional solo show in the UK, unfolding a deeply personal and autobiographical journey through art, identity and lived experience.

At the heart of the exhibition is The Crime Scene, an ambitious wall-based installation created since 2019 that resembles a forensic map of the artist’s life. Personal memorabilia, photographs, and objects are connected with neon orange string, inviting visitors to trace her development from a punk-inflected youth to her present artistic voice. Webster herself narrates the work in an immersive audio piece, guiding viewers through the connections and narratives embedded in the installation.

The show touches on influences that shaped Webster’s outlook, notably the music of Siouxsie and the Banshees, which helped her navigate a difficult adolescence. This influence has inspired a lively and varied body of work on display, including eighteen hand-painted leather jackets accompanied by a bespoke soundtrack and video footage from a fashion event she staged in her studio.

The exhibition also presents a series of powerful oil self-portraits and work exploring her relationship with her son Spider-Ray. The Birth of an Icon installation includes a shrine combining painting and personal objects related to his birth, extending the show’s intimate exploration of identity, family, and creativity.