Meet the Maker

Who is the Maker?

Why hello there! I'm so happy to see you here; welcome! :)

My name is Matea, and I'm the face, the dreamer, the creator, the juggler (and all the other rolles that one small biz has) of my little creative corner - Mijena Ceramics.🌕✨

I studied and mastered physical geography with geoecology. After finishing university I've worked in tourism for 7 years and then, in 2022 I quit my job to start Mijena Ceramics full time.

I'm in love with nature, climate, animals, travelling, clay, learning new skills and hobbies, which all inspires me to create the pieces you see and love.🩷

My latest passion is knitting (it helps me relax and gives my brain space for new ideas).🧶

Also, I am by all means a (shameless) Hallmark addict (one of many, 100% sure 😜) and I love to watch it while working with clay. It gives my brain the kind of familiarity and predictiveness that I often need to fully dedicate to my artmaking. Or, I just create in silence, listening to birds chirp, wind blow or rain fall, deeply dived into the material itself.

Also, I'm a Youtube addict - my feed consisting of content regarding pottery, sustainability, knitting, metalsmith, vegan food and simple living.

What is Mijena Ceramics?

Mijena Ceramics is a small, one-woman-led brand which stands for unique hand-made ceramics and jewelry made with porcelain, brass or 925 silver.

Each ceramic piece is made from sturdy and durable stoneware clay, with great care and much love and it will last you for a long period of time (when handled properly). All the mugs, cups, bowls and plates I make using handbuilding techniques (pinching, slab building), without any molds or wheel throwing.

Stoneware clay is a type of clay that is much higher in quality than the white clay that you can usually see in stores, and the reason for it is because it's fired at higher temperatures. The only material higher in quality than stoneware clay is porcelain.

As the quality of the piece is very important for me, of course I had to try porcelain, as well.

In 2024 I designed and in 2025 I launched my first porcelain jewelry collection which immediately stole your heart!🩷

As I love to learn and always try to make my work even better, in 2025 I enrolled in the program of jewelry making from brass and copper. I fell in love with the process, the material (and its diversity in comparison to clay) and the final product. So, naturally, I added brass jewelry in my Mijena jewelry collection. 

After making ceramics using hanbuilding techniques for almost 5 years, I'm ready to learn a new skill - wheel throwing. I'm super excited about it coz I already have in mind the design of cups I'd like to make and I can't wait to see them finished on my shelves.

What does "Mijena" stand for?

Mijena in Croatian has two meanings - change and Moon phase. While I was looking for a name for my small biz, I wanted something that will still connect me to geography and as I really needed a change in my professional career, this name was a perfect fit.

And if you look at my logo, you'll be able to see that the cup is shaped with some of the Moon phases :)

Thank you for reading my story till the end. If you love what you see and would like to stay in touch, feel free to follow me on Instagram or leave you e-mail address down below :)