MFA Metals, Jewelry, CAD/CAM
2nd floor, Metals, Jewelry, CAD-CAM, Studio 220D
Social media: @miakaplanmakes
Mia Kaplan
Bullseye Ring, Brass, copper, silver, magnet, 1 × 1 × 1 ¼ in.
Image credit: Brady Connelly
My artistic practice is driven by a love of imitation and tactility where I explore 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 have powers of healing and that wonder connects the ordinary and extraordinary. Desensitization and sterilization of our world is enacted by the overwhelm of the digital age. Through exploration and deliberate ritual, hand craft can re-empower and re-connect us to our bodies, sense of self, and our innately playful natures.
Mia Kaplan
Mia Kaplan was born in Zhanjiang, China, was raised in North Carolina, and now resides in Philadelphia. She earned a BA in Studio Art from Earlham College in 2018 and has completed internships at the Liberty Arts Sculpture Studio & Foundry and Brooklyn Metal Works, before joining the Core Fellowship program at the Penland School of Craft. Mia was the Production Specialist & Bench Jeweler at Emily Chelsea Jewelry for four years. She is currently pursuing an MFA at the Tyler School of Art.