Mia Hebib
In Conversation with Metalsmith and Creator of Oblik Atelier, Mia Hebib
Mia Hebib is the creator of Oblik Atelier, a jewelry studio in Brooklyn, New York. Mia started in jewelry at the School for Applied Arts and Design in Zagreb, Croatia. Upon resettling in the United States, she attended the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), where she received a BFA in jewelry and metalsmithing. Besides running Oblik Atelier, Mia has been instrumental in re-launching the Robert Lee Morris collection as well as launching multiple high-profile fashion brands like AllSaints and Coach wholesale line. She also mentored at PRATT Institute, 92ndStreet Y, and SCAD.
She chose to name her studio Oblik rather than Mia Hebib jewelry because the expression is not about her. Instead, it’s about a process and a desire to create the most unique, sculptural, alluring, elegant, and most powerful object in jewelry form. Oblik means “shape” in Croatian. Forming shapes has been the underlying theme in every piece she has created over the last decade. As Mia discusses in our conversation, she wishes that every woman who recognizes a creator of any kind inside herself would own an Oblik Atelier piece. Mia’s pieces exude beauty because she does. Her “creativity is interwoven into the textile of her life,” and we gained so much inspiration from our discussion. We believe you will, too!
“[Creativity is] the way of life. I think anything I do - even cooking, talking to people, reading, thinking - I feel like it is a creative endeavor, and it just so happens that I chose a professional line in the creative realm, too. Creativity pretty much is woven through everything that I do, and it applies to creative solutions, creative thinking in terms of how I approach my friends; any kind of element is very much interwoven into the textile of my life.”
In conversation…
Mia discusses how she came to work with metal and how it is just one expression of her creativity. She talks about how she discovered metalsmithing in art school, and why she chose it as her focus.
We also talk about what the pandemic has been like for her, and how she showed up in her day-to-day life, while it swirled around her in New York City. It involved lots of walking, showing up to her bench, and deciding that she needed to also sit and be still.
Mia shares how a daily meditation practice has allowed her to start noticing small moments in her life, which bring her inspiration - not just for her work, but also for her life outside of work.
Additionally, we spend some time discussing how you meet yourself with grace when you are experiencing moments of disconnect from yourself and your creativity. Mia shares how she is learning to trust herself and the process.
Mia’s jewelry has a beautiful fluidity to it, and we believe this is because Mia cultivates flow into her life. We loved getting to talk to her about how she cultivates self-trust and makes that a foundation of her work. She creates as a vehicle to connect, and that was obvious to us in our conversation.
We hope you feel that connection as you listen...
“I don’t create jewelry out of just a desire for people to wear pretty things. I create it as a vehicle to connect. We’ve met, you reached out to me, we met in Bryant Park, I brought you that ring, you told me a story, and here we are a few years later connecting again. I think that is the power of my work. I put it out there, and yes I make a living out of selling - and I love selling it, it’s great - but if I’m able to make lasting connections with people that feeds my soul in a different way. ”
WATCH THE VIDEO
music: Beach, musician: Jeff Kaale
LISTEN TO THE AUDIO
music: Beach, musician: Jeff Kaale
“I have an every three month kind of thing where I’m like, ‘What do I do now? Where is this going? Have you created anything? Have you sold anything? What’s new?’ I have this dramatic moment of like [gasps]. Sometimes it could last a day, sometimes three days, two weeks. I’m at the two weeks mark right now so at the moment of this two week mark I’m like, ‘Okay, now I’m getting worried’...
I’m 42 years old, and I have been in the creative space for 20-something years. I trust that I will come out of it. I never really know; I just know that it’s like this nice little curve, just like jewelry. Sometimes it’s just like a little curve and sometimes it’s a long curve, and I feel you just have to ride it out. Instead of worrying about it - and I do... I give myself a creative license to do whatever.”
THE CREATIVE PROMPT FROM MIA:
Mia recently had to start a project while away from her studio, and it was a tight deadline. Being totally outside of any type of creative space (aka her mom's apt in Croatia) she took paper, scissors, and tape and started prototyping a ring and subsequently a pin as well.
Supplies: Paper, scissors, and tape
Cut the paper up into strips - like ribbons. Cut as many or as little as you would like!
Take the simple strips and go to town! Shape the paper strips/ribbons into a structural piece, taping ends together as you go. Loop them together, tape, and-so-on-and-so-on.
Build voluminous things just by changing angels.
You can make flowers, earrings, garlands...whatever your heart desires or what you are moved to create.
Mia shares: “It was liberating to take three simple household staples and embark on a journey. It is not the same of course as metal, but I was able to build structures without worrying about mess, prep work, and just explore what a shape could look like. I was reminded of how little we need in order to be creative and only when we haven't access and are pressed for time do we drop our ‘perfection’ seeking and need for optimum conditions and embrace what is at hand. I was able to tap into creative space amidst, not only imperfect conditions, but also within a very stressful personal situation at home. It balanced me and kept me focused so the heaviness of the situation at hand didn't completely take over.”
