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Pollack and her family were deported from their home in Hungary in May 1944. At Auschwitz she was separated from her mother, who was killed in the gas chambers, and then sent to work as a slave labourer in the armaments factory in Guben in Germany.
She survived a death march to Bergen Belsen, where she was liberated in April 1945. She crawled towards her liberators, unable to walk and close to death. She was hospitalised for tuberculosis, typhoid and severe malnutrition. Susan lost more than 50 relatives in the Holocaust and only her brother Laci survived. Now 93 and living in London, she received an OBE for her services to Holocaust education for over 30 years, having been made MBE seven years earlier.
Sitting with Susan at the Holocaust Survivors Centre in London whilst painting her portrait a few days after the hostages in Israel were tragically captured on October 7th 2023, Susan reflected, “hatred never wins in the end”. It was a true honour to spend time with Susan and learn her profoundly moving story. Through her trauma she has learned that life is precious – you can go in one of two ways – up or down. Susan chose to walk away and rebuild her life. There was no revenge, and no justice. My wish is that through painting her portrait, Susan's story of extraordinary resilience and courage, her pain and loss as well as her dignity, hope and kindness will continue to be shared.
This painting was selected for the Royal Society of Portrait Painters’ Annual Exhibition, 2024, at the Mall Galleries, London. It also won Honourable Mention for Portraiture and the Sheng Xinyu Art Award at the 2025 Art Renewal Center International Salon Competition.