Sue stuns with ceramics

A West Gippsland ceramic artist is attracting national attention through a series of high-profile opportunities celebrating contemporary ceramics and regional creativity.

Sue Acheson recently featured as a guest artist at Fire + Clay, an international ceramics conference held at Montsalvat in Eltham, where she shared her artistic journey with fellow practitioners from Australia and overseas.

As part of the event, Ms Acheson exhibited her work, conducted kiln firings and offered one-on-one mentoring sessions, providing guidance to emerging ceramic artists while showcasing her own distinctive creative practice.

The invitation marked a significant achievement for the local artist and highlighted her growing reputation within the Australian ceramics community.

Ms Acheson is also preparing to welcome visitors into her studio as part of the Australian Ceramics Association Open Studios program on November 7 and 8.

The special open studio weekend will give the public an opportunity to see where her work is created, gain an insight into the ceramic-making process and meet the artist behind the pieces. Adding to the momentum, a photograph of Ms Acheson in her studio has been selected as the hero image for the Australian Ceramics Association's national open studios directory as part of Aus Art Day 2026, a Creative Australia initiative celebrating artists and creative spaces across the country.

The image, captured by Drouin photographer Simon Griffin of Homegrown Design, will be used to promote open studios nationwide and is expected to help raise the profile of both Ms Acheson's work and the wider West Gippsland arts community.

With a major conference appearance, national promotional exposure and an upcoming open studio event, 2026 is shaping up as a milestone year for the local ceramic artist, while also helping draw attention to the region's growing reputation as a destination for arts and culture.