Hello, I’m Juliana, an artist exploring how sensory engagement can nurture emotional connection and holistic wellbeing. Through crafted sensorial objects and curated immersive experiences, I invite presence, playful curiosity and embodied self-discovery.

With over a decade designing products and services through a human-centred lens, my practice has evolved to integrate behavioural studies, gastrophysics, yoga and the ancestral wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

I was shaped early on by life between the vibrant culinary capitals of Kuala Lumpur and London, in my family-run restaurants. Food was more than nourishment: it became a way of life, a language of care, creativity and connection.

I was always observing - how people moved, connected and interacted through gestures, objects and spaces. These intimate moments formed my earliest sense of design: something deeply human, sensory and symbolic.

Now based in San Francisco, I carry with me a deep attunement to the tender details that stir feeling: the scent in the air, the weight of a vessel in your hand, the ritual of sharing something made with intention.

In 2021, my senses fell silent. I lost my ability to smell and taste for two years.

During that time, my body began to break down in invisible ways. I felt disconnected — out of rhythm with myself and the world. As if life had paused, asking me to listen more deeply.

That silence revealed an old truth: I’ve had a complex relationship with my senses since childhood. As a supertaster and highly sensitive person, I’ve long experienced the world through intense smells, textures, sounds and flavours — often overwhelming, often misunderstood. But that same sensitivity became my gift: a way of noticing the subtle, feeling emotion vividly and finding beauty in small.

That same year, I left the corporate world — where I’d spent over a decade designing digital experiences across startups, global brands and purpose-driven organisations — and began a new chapter.

In search of healing, I returned to my body and other senses — finding refuge in clay, a material once unfamiliar; yoga, a practice I had resisted; and Traditional Chinese Medicine, a lineage quietly suppressed under the pressure to fit in.

In 2022, I went back to school to study design in an art school, reclaiming a more intuitive, tactile and embodied way of creating. These practices brought me back to presence, flow and the joy of working with my hands. Slowly, I began to reweave my body, mind and spirit.

Recently, I completed my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in San Francisco. Since then, I’ve been sharing meditation, restorative movement and micro-retreats.

Today, I bring together objects, food and yoga, rooted in the belief that nourishment lies not only in what we consume, but in how we move, feel, create and connect. At its heart, my practice is preventative — cultivating resilience and joy so wellbeing, longevity and happiness infuse daily life.

What began as healing has become a way of living: a ritual of awareness, self-care and creative expression. My practice blends stillness and motion, intuition and form — a space for sensory restoration, slow transformation and storytelling.

Inspired by ancestral wisdom, movement and a lifelong reverence for food as medicine, my work invites a return to balance. It soothes the senses and attunes us to the rhythms of nature and to what lives Within.

I believe nature lives within and all around us — a mirror of our bond with Mother Earth. Clay and natural materials, like the body, remember. They respond. They hold.

Guided by the spirit of shoshin (the beginner’s mind) and the joy of keeping our inner child alive, I see creativity as a space where innocence meets curiosity. A place to explore, reconnect and meet the world with fresh eyes.

This ethos lives in works like Why not? — a playful provocation to release hesitation, question the expected and stay open to what unfolds.

I invite you to embrace your individuality and find joy in the rhythm of change. Each experience and artwork is shaped by this philosophy: a return to presence, a celebration of becoming and a reminder that play is essential in the journey toward your authentic self.

Join me on @julianalua_ for a glimpse into evolving works and upcoming experiences.

Thank you for being here. If something resonates, let’s connect and create something meaningful - shaped by your story and made just for you.

Path to practice

200 hour YTT, Folk Yoga San Francisco
July 8th 2025 - August 3rd 2025

MA Design (Ceramics), Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London
September 2022 - June 2024

Over a decade shaping digital and human-centred experiences, leading design and strategy across startups, global brands, and purpose-driven organisations
2010 - 2021

BA Industrial Design and Technology with Professional Practice, Brunel University
September 2011 - July 2015

Features

Exhibitions & Showcases

Soil, Toil & Table at Lethaby Gallery
December 2024 - January 2025

Feast County Hall Pottery Gallery
November 2024 - January 2025

London Design Festival
September 2024

Parallax Kensington Art Fair
July 2024

Central Saint Martins Shows
June 2024

Thrown Contemporary Winter Exhibition
November 2023 - January 2024

Petr Weigl Open Studio
November 2023

Cafe Phillies
May - October 2023

Thrown Contemporary Winter Exhibition
November 2022 - January 2023

Studio Pottery London
June 2022

What you’ve been saying

  • “Within, Sensual Eating just delighted me. Obviously, there’s something erotic about these forms, which undercuts the seriousness of the Western canon and Western modes of eating. There is so much etiquette around the formality of the setup, how much you must separate yourself from the food through cutlery as a distancing tool, to keep things ‘civilised’. There is a long, psychosexually complex history to this. The tactility of Within, Sensual Eating is gorgeous. It's fun to probe, to dig in, to swipe and look. This project says something about how repressed and anxiety ridden we are most of the time. Brilliant.” 

    Ruby Tandoh, food and culture writer 

  • “Juliana worked closely with us to understand the brief on our commission for art work to sit on the mantlepieces within a freshly renovated building which houses our new state of the art Rapid Diagnostic Centre in Harley Street. She understood the rich heritage of the building, including the links to King George VI’s speech therapy which was undertaken in one of the centre’s rooms in the 1930s. She was able to draw on this in her work and use these influences to create pieces that perfectly complemented and enhanced the interior design of the spaces. These thoughtful and unique pieces will be appreciated by patients and visitors for years to come.”

    The London Clinic

  • “I absolutely adore my bowl. Juliana totally understood what I was looking for and created a stunning piece which far exceeded my expectations. It looks amazing in the space it was designed for. I’m so impressed I’ve already bought more pieces for myself and gifts for friends and family.”

    Helen

  • “We were looking for a few pieces to decorate our shelves and didn’t want to shop with generic high street retailers. Juliana exceeded our expectations and we love our custom-made vase, bowl, and plate set. They are very unique and beautiful.”

    Dan

  • “My wife opened the gift today and LOVED it. She has already turned it into a home for her everyday jewellery. It looks like it's always been there!”

    Nic

  • "Absolutely thrilled with these beautiful pieces! They fit perfectly in my hand, so ergonomic! Originally bought them as gifts, but now I'm tempted to keep them all for myself!"

    Lili

  • "I'm so pleased with my purchase! I got a Blue Flower from the Flowers collection for my wife as a Christmas present, and she couldn't stop talking about how pretty it is. It's truly beautiful!"

    Nate

Join my journey @julianalua_

I think I fell back in love with Paris. Recently, I had a rare opportunity to reunite with a friend in Paris. The last time I was there, I was a teenager. This time, I returned as an adult, as an artist, with only a day and a half to wander. I wa
Caliscape, a bespoke creation made for a biotech venture firm’s new San Francisco office inspired by West Coast dynamic landscapes. 🏞️ From my hands to your soul www.julianalua.com If you seek a piece sculpted with your story, and made just
Another close up of Caliscape, a one-of-a-kind creation made for a biotech venture firm’s new San Francisco office inspired by West Coast dynamic landscapes. 🏞️ Explore my creations www.julianalua.com Interested in a bespoke commission or a
Another close up of Caliscape, a one-of-a-kind creation made for a biotech venture firm’s new San Francisco office inspired by West Coast dynamic landscapes. 🏞️ Explore my creations www.julianalua.com Interested in a bespoke commission or a