Mia Kaplan
She/Her
Philadelphia, PA
Mia Kaplan is an artist, bench jeweler, and educator. She is currently living in Philadelphia. She received a BA in Studio Art at Earlham College. She has 11 years of experience working in metals and jewelry and now works full time as the Production Specialist and Bench Jeweler at Emily Chelsea Jewelry. One highlight of her professional experience is completing the Core Fellowship at the Penland School of Craft. Mia also teaches metalsmithing, most recently at the Peters Valley School of Craft.
“My work fluctuates between jewelry and sculpture. I often am rendering recognizable objects in miniature or collaging them into sculpture. They are a depiction of everyday moments elevated to be special, treasured, and personal to the wearer or the viewer. I often explore wonder and whimsy by using bright colors or incorporating movement to make something playful. I often go back to the same motifs, such as the arrow, ladder, flower, or pinwheel. These symbols can represent transformation, transition, change, and nostalgia. I intend for the work to be imbued with a graceful sense of power and quiet mythology. Since I come from a craft background, I strive for the jewelry to be durable, easy to use, comfortable, and refined. I want the pieces to be wearable and long lasting, as well as make someone feel special when they are adorned with them. “
www.rodrigo-ormachea.com
How does your work relate to the theme of flourish(ing)?
“These two pieces explore wonder and whimsy by rendering playful moments in metal. They are an embodiment of flourishing because of their joyful and uplifting nature. They are both brooches, and adorning oneself with them is intended to make you elevated, special, and treasured. The movement in the brooches makes wearing them an interactive and uniquely personal experience. The flower relates to the growth, blossoming, and beauty that comes with flourishing. The pinwheel represents nostalgic enjoyment, and that childhood happiness is another way we may flourish.“
"Pinwheel Brooch", Brass, bronze, sterling silver, fine silver, stainless steel pin back, 3" x 1.5", 2025, photographed by Mia Kaplan.How does your creative practice allow you to flourish (grow, thrive, blossom)?
“My creative practice allows me to explore processes and materials and feel the joy of discovery. I get immense satisfaction from completing a solder seam with no mistakes, or to find that a lid to a box fits perfectly after I’ve fine tuned the fit. All of that satisfaction is not obtained instantaneously, there is reward in the fact that everything took time and labor. Almost the entirety of my community and friends are connections through my creative practice. These people and their support mean everything to me and are the reasons why I’m able to create. Their verbal encouragement, their mentorship and critique, and their organizational programs are the reason I have the skills that I have, the studio that I can work out of, and the opportunities that I engage in. As I’ve started to teach metalsmithing to others, I’ve been forced to grow a different set of skills, while also getting immense reward by seeing others grow.”
As a queer+ artist, what would you like to see and/or what do you need in order to flourish during this time?
Flower Brooch, bronze, copper, sterling silver, aquamarines, 3.5" x 1.5", 2025, photographed by Mia Kaplan“I need more time that’s entirely my own. I spend a lot of time working for other people and fulfilling their dreams. I possibly need money or institutional support to be able to focus on working for myself. Logistics aside, I need to mentally remove the fear of taking these risks and pursuing that path.”
[queerphoria]v4 @ ECU Symposium