The 85-year-old living in her own art installation
85-year-old Sue Kreitzman has transformed her London home into a vibrant, maximalist art installation after a career change in her late 50s. Her home serves as both a personal creative space and a community hub for mentorship and LGBTQ+ support.
Why it matters
The story highlights the intersection of aging, creative expression, and the role of private homes as community safe spaces.
Image caption, Colourful octogenarian Sue Kreitzman thinks wearing beige might be fatal
By her own account, the 85-year-old, originally from New York, "flunked" every art class she ever took, from elementary school to high school.
It was at the age of 58, after successful careers as a teacher, cookbook author and TV chef that Kreitzman's life took a different path.
While looking over the proofs for her latest cookbook, she picked up a marker and drew a mermaid.
She said: "I looked at the mermaid and the mermaid looked at me and I gave her a fish for a hat. She was in charge, not me. The mermaid took over my life.
"I never wrote another cookbook. I got obsessed with drawing."
Figure caption, BBC London YouTube: The 85-Year-Old Living Inside Her Own Art Installation | How I Live in London
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