An Artist’s Way of Finding Calm in the Loops of Wire

At the Women in Arts Network, we’re always drawn to conversations that open a window into the lives of women creating in different mediums. In this interview, we sat down with Luisa M. Florez Herran, known as Luma, a Colombian artist and jewellery designer based in New York City.

Luma shares how her path moved from industrial design to jewellery, guided by childhood memories of making beaded pieces for her mother and later rediscovering that passion while studying abroad. She talks about how her work today weaves together form, material, and lived experience, especially her journey with mental health. Through wire crochet, a technique that is both delicate and demanding, she creates pieces that mirror fragility and structure, chaos and order, much like the states of mind she works through.

In our conversation, she opened up about how making with her hands brings calm, how ideas sometimes arrive through sketches but more often through simply letting the material guide her, and how her jewellery has become a way to start conversations about anxiety, bipolar disorder, and the connections that link us as people. What we learn from Luma is not just how her pieces take shape, but how jewellery itself can hold space for dialogue, grounding, and even healing.

I am Luisa M. Florez Herran, also known as Luma, a Colombian artist currently based in New York City. With a background in industrial design and a Master of Arts degree in Jewellery from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), I bring my ideas to life through intricate jewellery pieces, guiding each work from concept to creation. My recent work goes beyond aesthetics, exploring the complexities of mental health and drawing deeply from my own experiences with anxiety and bipolar disorder. Through my art, I strive to spark meaningful conversations and foster empathy, transforming adornment into a powerful medium for self-expression and human connection.

Throughout history, jewellery has served as expression, protection, and connection—a way to seek relief and transcendence. In my work, it becomes a bridge to the mind and soul. Using wire crochet, an intricate and meditative process, I channel thoughts and emotions into delicate forms that reflect both fragility and strength. This practice is therapeutic, helping me navigate mental health challenges while creating pieces that speak to shared human experiences. My jewellery invites reflection, dialogue, and connection, offering beauty as well as a space for healing.

1.   You trained as an industrial designer and later pursued a Master’s in Jewelry—how did that shift happen, and what drew you to jewelry as a form of expression?

When I finished studying industrial design, I wasn’t sure what to do next—it was such a broad field, and I was curious about so many things, from psychology and human development to toy design. I became an au pair for a while, and during that time, I took a jewellery-making class at the School of Visual Arts. That class reignited my childhood love for making jewellery. Since I was little, I’ve loved creating and embellishing things with my hands. I remember watching my mom get ready to go out, carefully choosing her jewellery, and making beaded pieces for her when I was about seven. Adorning her made me feel more connected to her, and jewellery naturally became the perfect blend of my design background and something deeply personal I’ve always loved.

The materials love to surprise me—especially when I have no plan. It feels like they already know what they want to become, and I’m just there to help them take shape.

Luisa M. Florez Herran (Luma)

2. Much of your recent work explores themes around mental health, shaped by your experiences with anxiety and bipolar disorder. How do you approach translating something so complex into a physical object? 

The complexity of my pieces often reflects my mental state—at first glance, the patterns may seem chaotic, but they follow a structure that’s only visible to me or to someone who understands wire crochet. It’s a bit like mental health: from the outside, it can be hard to grasp what it truly feels like unless you’ve lived it. The making process itself is meditative for me. It helps me channel anxious energy into creating something new, different, and beautiful in my eyes—turning inner turbulence into something tangible and meaningful.

3. Can you share what the process looks like for you—from the idea stage to the final piece? Do your materials or techniques ever surprise you along the way?  

Sometimes I sketch, but often I just let the materials speak. There are days when I pick up the wire and start crocheting without knowing what it will be, and little by little, the piece begins revealing itself as I turn it in my hands and look at it again and again. The materials love to surprise me—especially when I have no plan. It feels like they already know what they want to become, and I’m just there to help them take shape.

4.  You describe your jewellery as a way to start conversations. Have you ever witnessed a moment where someone connected with your work in a way that stayed with you?

Yes—and those moments stay with me. I’ve had people, especially younger ones, thank me for bringing mental health into my work. They tell me it gives them courage to open up about their struggles. For me, jewellery is more than adornment; it’s a bridge to the mind and soul, a way to start conversations that break down barriers. Seeing my pieces spark honest and meaningful dialogue is incredibly touching and reminds me why I create.

The making process itself is meditative for me. It helps me channel anxious energy into creating something new, different, and beautiful in my eyes.

Luisa M. Florez Herran (Luma)

5. Living and working in New York City as a Colombian artist, how do your roots and current environment influence what you create—or how you think about what you’re making?

More than my surroundings, my process is deeply rooted in my internal journey. Being Colombian and living in New York shapes me, but what drives my work is what I carry inside—my experiences, emotions, and reflections. That inner world is where my jewellery truly takes shape.

6. Do you find that working with your hands—shaping, soldering, setting—affects how you manage or process your mental health on a day-to-day basis?  

For me, creating with my hands is a source of joy and calm. The act of shaping and crafting lets me channel restless energy into something peaceful and grounding, helping me navigate the ups and downs each day.

Luma’s jewellery carries more than aesthetic value. It is a language shaped by wire, form, and repetition, expressing fragility and resilience side by side. Through her process, she shows how making with the hands can quiet the mind and how adornment can become a space for connection.

From her journey, we learn that jewellery can spark dialogue about mental health, create moments of empathy, and remind us of the strength that exists in shaping something meaningful out of uncertainty.

To learn more about Luisa M. Florez Herran (Luma), visit the links below.