A World on a String: Susan Tereba at Usada

A World on a String: Susan Tereba Comes to Usada Bali

There are dragons and scarabs, chickens and eggs, frogs and dragonflies, cats, mermaids, snakes, eagles, tiger angels, green men, mamulis, and ancient feminine forms. Spread across a table, they appear less like a jewellery collection and more like the inhabitants of an imagined world. Some are playful, some symbolic, some sacred, and some resist easy categorisation altogether.

This is the creative landscape of Susan Tereba.

As preparations begin for the introduction of a specially curated collection at Usada Bali, the extraordinary diversity of Susan’s work reveals itself piece by piece. The longer one spends with the collection, the more details emerge. The texture of mammoth tusk. The depth of jet. Delicate carvings that slowly reveal their stories through observation and touch. Materials that initially appear familiar often prove to be something entirely different.

There is curiosity in this process, but also a sense of discovery.

More Than Jewellery

What becomes immediately apparent is that these pieces are not designed around trends or fashion cycles. Each piece carries a story. Symbols drawn from different cultures and traditions appear throughout the collection. Mamulis from Eastern Indonesia sit alongside scarabs inspired by Ancient Egypt. Animals, mythological beings, protective figures, sacred feminine forms, and nature spirits all find expression through Susan’s distinctive visual language.

The collection feels less like a range of accessories and more like a gathering of small sculptural narratives intended to be worn and carried through life. Many people are drawn instinctively to particular symbols. A dragon. A bird. A seahorse. A frog. Sometimes the attraction is immediate and difficult to explain. The symbol simply speaks to something within us.

This relationship between beauty, meaning, and imagination sits at the heart of Susan’s work.

A Collection Curated for Usada

Susan’s work is represented through respected cultural and hospitality spaces in Bali, including Threads of Life and Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. The introduction of a curated collection at Usada brings her work into a different kind of environment, one shaped by culture, creativity, wellbeing, and community.

When selecting pieces for the collection, the process is less by strategy and more by intuition.

Having attended events at Usada, Susan considered which pieces would naturally resonate within the space and with the people who gather there. Some selections arrived easily. Others prompted hesitation and laughter. Were the chickens and eggs too unusual? Or perhaps the Scarab will suit.

After all, every collection benefits from a little humour, and every community contains people who appreciate the unexpected. That balance between symbolism, beauty, playfulness, and irreverence remains one of the qualities that makes the work so distinctive.

Supporting Living Craft Traditions

This collaboration also reflects a shared commitment to supporting local artisanship and creative communities in Bali. Many of Susan’s pieces emerge through long-standing relationships with skilled Balinese artisans and carving communities. Their craftsmanship, technical knowledge, and artistic contribution form an essential part of the creative process.

At a time when traditional forms of making increasingly compete with mass production and rapid commercialisation, these relationships matter. The conversation around sustainability often focuses on environmental concerns, yet cultural sustainability is equally important. Traditional skills, artisan knowledge, and creative livelihoods require support if they are to continue evolving and thriving.

This is not about preserving culture as a static artefact. Rather, it is about supporting living traditions that remain connected to place, knowledge, and community while continuing to adapt and grow.

Symbols, Stories, and Shared Curiosity

Perhaps this is why the collaboration feels so natural. Both Susan’s work and the wider vision of Usada share a fascination with symbols, storytelling, creativity, culture, and the deeper layers of meaning that often sit beneath everyday experience.

A dragon can become a teacher. A scarab can become a reminder of transformation. A seahorse can speak of trust. A mamuli can carry echoes of ancestry, fertility, and continuity. These objects are beautiful in their own right. Yet they also invite conversation, imagination, and reflection.

In many ways, they remind us that human beings have always created meaning through symbols and stories. Rich in symbolism, craftsmanship, and imagination, Susan Tereba’s World on a String feels perfectly at home at Usada. We are delighted to share this extraordinary collection with our community.

The collection will soon be available through the Usada online shop, making these unique pieces accessible to friends of Usada both in Bali and around the world. We look forward to sharing more of Susan’s remarkable work and the stories, symbols, and craftsmanship that make each piece so distinctive.