Meet Kristianna Foye | Jewelry designer and maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristianna Foye and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristianna, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I take inspiration from art, particularly in terms of color and form. I pay attention to nature and its often surprising juxtapositions of tone and texture. I look to old tools, antiques, and even debris: anything that can challenge my expectations and reset what is possible.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began making jewelry as a teenager, and this form of creative expression has remained present ever since. I have pursued my craft alongside other aspects of my life: an early corporate career, raising four children while living overseas, learning Bahasa Indonesia and Mandarin, writing, returning to live in the United States, the death of a son, adapting to having grown children, and my Taekwondo and Jiujitsu practices. Making original pieces of jewelry has always been a release, both for my artistic expression and for my mental health. The need to create is a very basic drive for me.

I only make original pieces of jewelry–I never repeat. I typically deconstruct old or damaged jewelry and adapt found bits, repurposing these elements into something relevant to today. The reuse of vintage materials has become a foundational component for me. Each piece I make has its own origin, color way, materials, symbolism, and meaning. There is problem solving in terms of technical adaptations, and also in visual and physical balance, ease of wear, and underlying theme. It is a challenging path, but one that is very satisfying.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well, it would be a visit focused on art and nature. We would spend a day at Houston’s Menil Museum, with a lunch break at Bistro Menil. The following day would merit a stroll through Hermann Park and a visit to Houston’s Museum of Natural Science, focusing on Gems, Ancient Egypt, and Paleontology. Then we would have dinner at Lucille’s. We would spend the next day at the Museum of Fine Arts, paying special attention to South American art and Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Room in the Kinder Building, after which we could recover our strength with Tex-Mex at Cyclone Anaya’s. For our last day, we’d enjoy Houston’s folk art scene and experience the Orange Show and the Beer Can House, then we would walk through Memorial Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to recognize my sister, Heather Montoya. She has been a long-time supporter of my creative efforts. Over the years, we have had an ongoing dialogue about art, inspiration, and creativity that has kept me ready and excited to get to work. She has challenged me to create new jewelry lines and has lead me to some of my most cherished innovations, like naming each piece. She has patiently accompanied me to antique markets throughout the world; she is almost as good a finder as I am of unusual and adaptable material. And she is proud to wear my pieces.

Website: Etsy.com/shop/MagpieAdornment

Instagram: @magpiejewelrydesigns

Image Credits
For my portrait, photo credit: William Foye For all other photos, Kristianna Foye