Susanne Wenger studied art in Graz and Vienna and was part of the famous Vienna Art-Club. After World War II, she worked as a writer and illustrator for the children's magazine Unsere Zeitung (1946-48). She stood out for the modern cover illustrations she made for the magazine. She then traveled through Italy and lived in Switzerland and Paris for a while. In 1950, she and her husband settled in Nigeria, where the Obatala priest became her guru and initiated her to the traditional Yoruba religion.