Willow Tree - Susan Lordi

For over 20 years, Willow Tree figurines have been one of the most popular gift ideas in the UK and around the world.

Artist Susan Lordi hand carves the original of each Willow Tree sculpture. Following the example of family and friends, Susan attempts to capture a moment in time or express a feeling. Her characters are constantly evolving as she recognizes emotions that are so important to us and conveys them in simple, pure gestures. These art forms beautifully express love, closeness, healing, courage, hope... all the feelings of a life well lived. It is up to the viewer to recognize the emotions, which makes them personal and powerful.

'Willow Tree is not necessarily an image, but a way of conveying emotion... a memory of someone we want to keep close to us, or a memory we want to touch or see. I hope people can recognize the subtle expressions or gestures of those they love and from them select pieces that have unique meaning to them.' -Susan Lordi

Susan Lordi

Susan Lordi is known for her innovative art, which is exhibited and sold worldwide. Susan received an honorary Master of Fine Art degree from the University of Kansas in 1993 . She has taught textile art and design at university and her work can be seen in museum exhibitions. Through Willow Tree®, Susan Lordi was able to create a product for the commercial gift industry for the first time and thereby shifted her focus from textile art to sculpture.

The concept of Willow Tree came from Susan's desire to create a unique, simple sculpture without any great details. The character should only represent emotions through gestures. “ I want the viewer to participate in understanding the character. This makes the figure more personal for the giver and the recipient can see the person or memory that they find in the figure.” Susan tries to capture a moment in life or express a feeling. “ Willow Tree is not about the tangible figure. It symbolizes an emotion or it connects with a memory . Susan Lordi is influenced by diverse fields such as ballet, nature, art history, human emotions and interactions.

Since Willow Tree's creation, Susan Lordi has been carving the original figure and using her family and friends as models. The original is cast in polyresin, leaving every knife notch visible. The figures are then painted by hand. Willow Tree was introduced to the gift market in January 2000 and became a successful gift collection in the United States and worldwide. The collection is constantly being expanded with new figures that contain the same expressive qualities.

Susan has also designed Willow Tree figures for charities such as the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Performing Arts Center and Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, and Care for Children in China. This has led to similar contributions in Canada and England. Susan lives with her husband Dennis in Kansas City, Missouri, where she has a studio in the Crossroads Arts District.