Ariadne's Thread
Susan Nuttall
Ariadne's Thread (detail) 2026
Buff raku sandy (BRS)
Interior: oxidation to Cone 6. Exterior: unglazed
Multiple pieces: 9 x 30 x 28 cm overall
About the Artwork
Ariadne’s Thread reimagines the Greek myth and explores ideas of containment, navigation, and freedom. Seven hand-carved cups, while each asserting their own identity, assemble in a labyrinth-like form, inviting the viewer to consider the interconnectivity of the forms.
The cups’ rough-hewn unglazed exteriors contrast starkly with the deeply luminous saturated-blue glazed interiors. From a single outer cup, a narrow stream of glaze escapes and flows down (or up) the outside, echoing Ariadne’s thread— the lifeline that enabled Theseus to navigate the maze. This escaped line becomes a physical trace that connects the inner with the outer. The small, coloured dots on the rims read as markers or signposts throughout the labyrinth, providing the blueprint for its assembly and navigation.
Ariadne’s Thread reflects on the near impossibility of complete containment and suggests that often the simplest act can provide the best solution to a problem.
About the Artist
Susan Nuttall grew up in North Queensland in a home filled with her mother’s hand-made ceramics and with enduring memories of backyard pit firings. Her own ceramic practice began in London in 2017, after completing a BTech Level 3, and continues today in Perth.
Drawing inspiration from vessels and stories of antiquity, Susan hand-builds ceramic forms that echo these ancient forms while carrying contemporary narratives and motifs. The resulting body of work occupies a space between sculpture and utility, where practicality often becomes secondary to storytelling. She has participated in several exhibitions, including Fired up (2021) and Before 10 After 5 (2025), and was a finalist in the previous North Queensland Ceramic Awards (2024).