Bamboo Basket Boating

Bamboo Basket Boating by Sue Hill. The inspiration for this acrylic painting came from a visit to Vietnam. The ‘thung chai‘ or basket boat is woven from bamboo and is hemispherical in shape. They are made by hammering strips of bamboo into place. The boat is then waterproofed with resin from coconut oil or tar.
Originally these were made by poor Vietnamese fishermen who relied on them for their livelihood as they could not pay the taxes levied by the French in the colonial era on regular fishing boats. They argued they could not be taxed as they were baskets not boats. Basket boats have since become a feature of the waterways and are now a part of tourism in Vietnam.
Here, Sue has painted three basket boats being paddled to a riverside shack where the passengers will be refreshed with cool drinks and food.
Sue has sealed the painting with matt medium varnish. It is signed on the back and is wired ready to hang. The edges of the painting are painted black.

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Sue Hill

Sue is a multidisciplinary artist particularly fond of the immediacy and vibrancy of painting with acrylics. Her artistic journey began in Central Africa and remains dynamic and ever evolving in her adopted Australian home. Her studio is now based in Brisbane, Queensland.

In one way or another, art has always been part of Sue's life. Sue spent her childhood in Central Africa, moving between remote mining towns, where the beauty and brutality of the bush left a lasting impression. With creative parents—her mother a gifted botanical artist and her father a skilled engineer—Sue developed an early appreciation for the natural world and the resilience of the human spirit. Limited by few material possessions, she found joy in the wilderness, drawing inspiration from the diversity and rhythm of the bush.

After getting married, she created her first studio in the garage of their Botswana home to hone her pottery skills. Then, migrating to Perth, Australia, with her young family, Sue began exploring her artistic voice. With her children settled into school, she undertook part-time studies at TAFE and at the Claremont School of Art, nurturing a growing passion for visual expression. She frequently embarrassed her teenage children by stopping traffic to retrieve interesting pieces of twisted metal for her latest sculpture.

When they moved to Adelaide, Sue became a volunteer guide at the Art Gallery of South Australia. This experience deepened her appreciation for art history and reinforced her connection to the arts community.

Sue continued to develop her skills in Brisbane through short painting courses and workshops. She regularly participates in Donald Waters’ engaging demonstration sessions held in Jacobs Well.

She works across various mediums, drawing inspiration from nature, colour, movement, and emotion. While she loves acrylics, she also enjoys working with oils, encaustics, and mixed media. Photography often serves as her conceptual starting point—allowing her to reinterpret or abstract visual elements to create fresh, unexpected compositions.
Sue’s works have been collected in several Australian states and reflect a blend of traditional techniques with a contemporary, exploratory spirit.

"I love colour and texture when painting abstract or realistic works. I also love to convey humour in my art. Sometimes, it's not intentional or obvious, but it's often there. Humour has always helped me connect with others in many different parts of the world and helped me navigate life's challenges. For me, art is about being curious, playful and expressive! If my painting surprises you, makes you do a double-take or smile, I've done my job. Not that it ever feels like a job. I am honoured that people around Australia have chosen to hang my work on their walls. Thank you."