Today we’d like to introduce you to Mia Suni.
Mia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am Finnish ceramicist and jewelry designer currently based in Boston. I started with ceramics as a hobby when I was 17. I have always been very creative but instead of pursuing art studies my parents encouraged me to study something a bit more “serious”. So, I have a serious corporate working life background…
I guess my story is typical in the way that I got bored of the corporate world and wanted to follow my creative passions. I had been practicing pottery for several years on and off depending on my life situations, but I never really planned to go for it full time.
Our family has lived in quite a few different countries during the past 12 years but always stayed long summers in Finland. With all the traveling and international moves keeping up with traditional ceramics was challenging. That’s how my work started to evolve towards smaller pieces and eventually porcelain jewelry.
In 2016, I made my first experimental porcelain jewelry pieces. It was not planned but the core of my jewelry line turned out to be very Scandinavian and clean. I suppose it was a subconcious way to cherish my Nordic roots after having lived in a few very different places around the world over the years; Helsinki, Copenhagen, Paris, Dubai and now Boston.
I am fascinated by porcelain as a material for jewelry; it keeps challenging me every day and no two workdays are ever identical. I enjoy witnessing the process where a soft chunk of clay gets transformed into a gold adorned unique piece of jewelry. Here in Boston, I’m based at the Harvard Ceramics studio where I continue to push the boundaries and experiment with different techniques, tools, and materials.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
There is this repeated cliché of following your passion and “doing what you love” and it sure sounds good but may be difficult to grasp let alone implement in practice. There was a time when I was struggling with the question of what my passion is and what exactly is it that I’m meant to do (knowing vaguely that it would be something creative). But had someone told me 5 years ago that you’ll be a jewelry designer, I probably wouldn’t have taken that seriously.
Then there is this other saying that you already have all the answers in you but you just don’t see them until the time is right. I know this sounds goofy, but I actually do believe in this. Because:
As it wasn’t crystal clear to me what exactly I liked, I thought what the heck, while I wait for the universe to show me my purpose I’m just going to play with clay because at least I know I like THAT. Wait… what? So I came to realize that I had loved making ceramics for a long time, I was good at it, I had some experience even in jewelry design, my corporate background was in marketing Scandinavian design… I could only wonder why hadn’t I seen that big picture before. Having supporting and encouraging people around was also very important to me.
I’m also a big believer in the fact that sometimes not getting what you wanted is actually helpful and it can help you reorient or refine your work better for the future. So, of course, there will always be different kinds of setbacks but when you’re committed to your passion they don’t feel so overwhelming.
We’d love to hear more about Studio M.
My signature piece is the Birch Log pendant, which was one of the first porcelain pendants I made. I had been making tableware and home decor from porcelain and just loved that material (compared to regular clay). I like combining contrasts and different textures in my jewelry and I add 14k gold details to some of my pieces to give them a little extra sparkle.
I guess my pieces can be described as surprising because people often wonder what material they and how they can be made out of porcelain.
Many of my pieces have Finnish names, which is my way of showing the connection to my roots and Finnish nature.
Despite my relatively recent move to jewelry, I’m glad that my designs have already caught the attention of some renowned fashion houses like Marimekko as well as design stores both in Europe and the US. My first reseller in Finland was the Design Museum store in Helsinki, which I was very proud of.
Despite porcelain jewelry being quite uncommon I’m not the only porcelain jewelry maker out there. However, my style is very distinct and easily recognizable. My brand Studio M is all about easy to wear statement pieces.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I enjoy listening to life coaching and wellness podcasts while jogging or driving. Reading for 30 min before going to bed is a habit that I’ve had for a long time. I have always needed a lot of sleep in order to function well.
Pricing:
- Price range of my jewelry is between $129 – $249
Contact Info:
- Website: www.studiomjewellery.com
- Phone: 617-412-6399
- Email: mia@studiomjewellery.com
- Instagram: @studiomjewellery
- Facebook: facebook.com/StudioMjewellery
Image Credit:
Mia Suni, Jurate Veceraite
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