THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
Friday, April 27, 2001

Art
By Edward J. Sozanski
INQUIRER ART CRITIC

ICONS WITH SUBSTANCE.
ICON is one of the most overworked and abused words in art discourse, but it can be legitimately applied to the small panel paintings that Susanne Okamoto is showing at Artforms Gallery in Manayunk. Their character derives both from their imagery and their distinctive physical presence. Some images are vessels, which can be read either as objects or metaphors, while others are natural materials such as leaves, feathers, cornstalks and flowers. The organic materials represent various life forces, while the vessels suggest containment, contemplation and equilibrium. Often the elements are combined so as to infuse a painting with mystical spirituality. As for presence, the paintings glow with exceptional radiance, a quality that amplifies the ethereal beauty of an image such as Ginko Vessel With Green Heron, If panelists worshiped icons, this is what they would look like.