Mia Kaplan
She/They
Philadelphia, PA
“Mia Kaplan is a studio artist, bench jeweler, and educator. She was born in Zhanjiang, China, was raised in North Carolina, and now resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She earned a BA in Studio Art from Earlham College in 2018 and has completed internships at the Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio and Foundry and Brooklyn Metal Works, before joining the Core Fellowship program at the Penland School of Craft. Mia was the Production Specialist and Bench Jeweler at Emily Chelsea Jewelry for four years. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Metals CAD/CAM at Tyler School of Art.”
“My artistic practice is driven by a love of imitation and tactility where I explore recognizable objects and symbols through a fantastical lens. I create toy-like jewelry and sculpture that recontextualizes my childhood narratives. I have always collected many objects, human-made and natural, and imbued them with power and mythology. I find that play, curiosity, and nostalgia can have powers of healing. Desensitization and sterilization of our world is instigated by the overwhelm of the digital age. Hand crafted adornment is a way we can become re-empowered and re-connected to our bodies, sense of self, and our innately playful natures.”
@miakaplanmakes
How does your work relate to the theme of restoration?
“Restoration to me is the reinvigoration of our spirits. My piece engages you in interactive play that creates a sense of wonder and delight. These rings whir to life when activated with the wind or your breath. I find that play, curiosity, and nostalgia have powers of healing. The integration of moments of wonder in our lives not only can satisfy, but also inspire. Desensitization and sterilization of our world is enacted by the overwhelm of the digital age. Hand crafted adornment is a way we can become re-empowered and re-connected to our bodies, sense of self, and our innately playful natures.”
"Pinwheel Ring" Mia Kaplan
How does your creative practice allow you to restore (renew, return, reclaim, recover)?
“My creative practice allows me to connect with my body. It allows me to disengage senses of urgency and find beauty in the slowness of handcraft. Urgency is a tool of white supremacy and capitalism. I want to continue to champion hand craft as a way to deconstruct and act against those systems.”
As a queer+, artist, what do you see can be, needs to be, or cannot be restored?
“What cannot be restored in our lifetimes are the material resources we have over-extracted from the earth. Being a part of the jewelry industry carries a lot of ethical concerns for the way people and the land are exploited. I think a lot these days about the ethics of the materials I work in, especially as the prices continue to rise. We need to continue to have education, conversation, and direct action in sourcing materials ethically.”
Photographs Courtesy of the Artist
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“Both rings are displayed with cork stand which would be included”