After sinking her hands into clay in her second year at university Nicola hasn’t looked back. Originally aspiring to be a jewellery artist, Nicola couldn’t ignore the calling to ceramics after connecting with the medium.

As an artist Nicola takes her inspiration from nature, personal experiences and a fascination with the conversations we have with ourselves. For Nicola, art is an opportunity to learn more about who we are by allowing our inner monologue to take over.

Based in Adelaide, Nicola is a University of South Australia graduate. Having studied Contemporary Arts, Nicola has had the opportunity to explore the possibilities of clay and showcase her works in her 2018 graduate exhibition Facade.

“Art for me is my way of communicating, with the medium, with the world, and with myself.”

Nicola Sutcliffe

Nicola’s background and love of jewellery has made her acutely attentive to detail, and this is one predominant aspect of ceramics she enjoys, going out of her way to create richly detailed and sophisticated designs.

Nicola’s artistry extends beyond ceramics with stunning glass work, drawings and continuing to follow her passion for jewellery making.

Nicola’s drive for exploring textures and different mediums including metal, glass, timber and textiles has only led to developing herself as an artist further. In 2022 Nicola will complete a Graduate Diploma in Design (Contemporary Art) at the University of South Australia.

During her time studying this design course, Nicola featured in University of South Australia’s Verse Magazine Edition 35 – The Mental Health Edition. She discusses her 2018 graduate works Embracing Growth and how clay has helped her through ‘sad spells’. She opens up about the importance of sharing mental health experiences and reaching out.

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