Ah, to be enchanted!
To be held in a state of magic, like you’ve been placed under a spell—and oh, what a charming feeling it is to be delighted by something small!
I’ve known that feeling for as long as I can remember.
As a child, I visited a miniature exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago: the Thorne Miniature Rooms.
Tiny scenes were set behind glass, filled with true-to-life odds and ends, staged so convincingly that it felt as though the characters and their stories might step onto the stage at any moment, bounding in through one of the little doors.
My entire body responded to each small world of wonder. I leaned in close, cupped my hands around my face, and held my breath-- trying to stay perfectly still so as not to miss a single detail. I knew then that what I was seeing was precious. Each room had been made with such extraordinary care, and I truly felt transported, as though I had entered each space myself.
Many years later, as an adult with grown children of my own, I found myself standing in front of that exhibition once again, and the same feelings of inspiration and delight rushed back!
There I was, now taller and older, still bringing my face as close to the glass as I could to marvel at the smallest details. Around me stood people from all over the world, speaking different languages and living different lives. And yet, we were all doing the same thing: leaning in, smiling, sharing quiet gasps of delight and soft laughs. In that moment, I realized, we were so unified by enchantment.
I could think of nothing sweeter, nothing more pure, than such a feeling. It asks nothing of us but our attention. To slow down and savor what is right in front of us. And sharing that feeling with others, even perfect strangers, is a gift that becomes a memory to stay.
That very feeling—joy of being delighted by life’s small treasures—is something I knew I had to bring into my world of sculpture. Thus, the idea for my latest piece was born!
Aptly named Enchanted, she is a precious little girl wearing a flowing dress that is adorned with nine tiny, operable doors along its hem. Once cast in bronze, each door will be carefully hollowed and hinged, inviting discovery of what may sit behind each: a handwritten note, a charm, or perhaps even a piece of candy!
Each door carries its own little world:
the Critter Door,
the Hobbit Door,
the Rose Door,
the Clock Door,
the Under-The-Sea Door,
the Butterfly Door,
the Apple Door,
the Treasure Door,
and the Star Door.
Enchanted truly is art that is meant to be played with. She is an invitation to return to childlike wonder and curiosity, to create moments of surprise, and to offer small delights to one another.
Placed in a home, she becomes a keeper of excitement, holding tiny gifts that wait patiently to be found. My hope is that Enchanted lives in a space where she can be revisited again and again, with her doors opening and closing over time, carrying gestures of imagination and love.
Thank you for sharing this moment of enchantment with me.
May this new year be one that delights you in ways big and small!
With love and curiosity,
Angela Mia
Enchanted is now available to explore on the studio site.
What a precious new creation by you Angela. I have always been fascinated by those tiny displays also. They bring such wonder and curiosity. Then to add tiny doors that actually open…magical.
This is charming, delightful, and enchanting! Love, love, love this!!