Noreen Joa
Noreen is a visual artist and experiential graphic designer from Queens, NY. Drawn to the subtle rhythms of everyday life, she transforms fleeting moments into ethereal realms where quiet wonder, stillness, and mysticism converge. Through her ceramic and jewelry art practice, sol flo, she creates & collaborates with people and spaces to craft experiences that honor the liminal moments —suspended between life and the unseen—and open a portal to intimate communion with the present.
Q: To begin, could you briefly introduce yourself and your practice?
N: I’m a visual artist and experiential designer based in Queens, NY. My work explores the subtle rhythms of everyday life, transforming fleeting moments into ethereal realms where quiet wonder, stillness, and mysticism meet.
Through my ceramic and trinket-based practice, sol flo, I create and co-create with people and serene spaces—crafting experiences that honor liminal moments between the seen and unseen, and invite an intimate communion with the present.
Q: This piece feels deeply connected to organic growth, almost like frozen branches or roots. What kinds of natural forms or environments were influencing you while creating it?
N: Absolutely! I’m deeply inspired by growth in nature, especially the quieter kinds. While making this piece, I was thinking a lot about ice formations and crystalline growth—winter landscapes where everything appears still on the surface.
Branches, frost, and the way growth turns inward during colder seasons really stayed with me. I wanted to reflect on how movement and transformation continue to unfold beneath the surface, even in a cocooned or dormant state.
Structurally, I began with the idea of branching networks, but it gradually started to feel like a portal—something you could move in and out of—where the branches themselves form a cocoon.
Q: This piece feels deeply connected to organic growth, almost like frozen branches or roots. What kinds of natural forms or environments were influencing you while creating it?
N: Absolutely! I’m deeply inspired by growth in nature, especially the quieter kinds. While making this piece, I was thinking a lot about ice formations and crystalline growth—winter landscapes where everything appears still on the surface.
Branches, frost, and the way growth turns inward during colder seasons really stayed with me. I wanted to reflect on how movement and transformation continue to unfold beneath the surface, even in a cocooned or dormant state.
Structurally, I began with the idea of branching networks, but it gradually started to feel like a portal—something you could move in and out of—where the branches themselves form a cocoon.
Q: When someone brings this piece into their home, how do you imagine it interacting with other elements of their daily space?
N: I want someone to explore possibilities with this piece—it could be a sculptural element that holds ephemeral, found objects like dried flora, fauna, or light almost as if the branches themselves are cradling them. I want to bring calm, serene energy, while inviting reflection and a sense of quiet wonder in everyday life. I hope it becomes a little portal in someone’s home—a place where softness and the hidden movements of ephemeral life can quietly unfold in their everyday moments.
Q: The twisted, looping structure looks both intentional and spontaneous. Could you share a bit about how the form came together—was it planned or something that evolved as you worked on it?
N: The form came together very intuitively. I started with a loose structure in mind—building upward from branching networks—but as I worked, the loops and twists began to evolve on their own, guided by the resilience and limits of the clay itself.
The surface became a response to internal landscapes we carry—emotional ecosystems shaped by sensitivity, tears, and renewal. As the piece developed, it shifted into something more fluid and cocoon-like. I wanted it to feel frozen yet alive, holding that tension between dormancy and becoming. The cocoon really emerged through the process rather than from a fixed plan.
Q: Seeing the piece photographed in snow and natural light gives it a quiet, almost mystical atmosphere. Was invoking a certain mood part of your vision for this work?
N: Definitely. I wanted the piece to carry a quiet, mystical energy—like a moment paused between movement and stillness. Seeing it in snow and natural light brings that subtleness to life, letting it feel both delicate and alive, and inviting the viewer into a space of reflection and wonder.
Q: As you continue exploring these organic, flowing ceramic forms, what are you excited to experiment with next steps?
N: I’m excited to keep exploring the balance between fragility and strength. I want to play with scale, ceramic materiality, and how these flowing forms interact with light and space. I’m also interested in letting structured ideas reveal themselves through the process, as they did while exploring the forms for this piece. I’d love to continue making my work interactive—inviting people to engage or add ephemeral natural elements, allowing the piece to shift in mood with its environment.
