Born in Hawke's Bay, Suellen Gifford trained in Art and Photography at Palmerston North Teachers College . She moved to Auckland where she taught Art before concentrating on a successful career in photography. She has had wide experience working as a Press, fashion, commercial and advertising Photographer with work appearing in magazines such as Time, More and Cuisine. In 2000 she returned to academic life and completed a degree in Visual Art and Design, majoring in digital photography. Suellen is using the Visual Arts to reposition her photography in a Pacific Context.

Her recent Reflection Series has been influenced by an ongoing interest in 60s artists such as Gordon Walters and Bridget Riley. Her aim is to produce work, which ultimately gives pleasure to the viewer while alluding to the history of paint.

Adventure and travel are a huge part of Suellens life. Although based in Hawke's Bay, last year, she took three months off to sail around Turkey and this year she is planning another sailing trip from Turkey to Spain . So it is probably of no surprise that flags, water and wind are the themes that dominate her photographic imagery.

Suellen was the founding president of the Haumoana Arts in the Park. This community initiative won the 2000 Chamber of Commerce Award for Special Events . In 2003 she won the Adobe/Canon Digital Photography Open Class Award organised by The Central Hawke's Bay Festival .

She has been included in many group exhibitions throughout New Zealand 's North Island selling to overseas and local buyers.