Tiana Marie Combes
Interview by Jennie Edgar
Photo by Dimanche Creative
March 1st, 2022
Slow living and self-reflection, the keys to timeless design
The multi-hyphenate creative and founder of Tiana Marie Combes spoke to us about equestrian influences, reading for new frames of reference, and how sometimes a book is just better when someone buys it for you.
“Money doesn’t mean anything. It has no importance.”
“What’s more important?” she asked him.
“The tongue is,” he said, “and the words it makes. If you’re careful with your tongue, you’ll always be all right.”
“You’re never going to be all right,” she told him.
From Marriage with Papers by Mohammed Mrabet
Who are you, Tiana, and what do you do?
I am a glass artist, jewelry designer, and photographer born, raised, and living in Los Angeles. My work is inherently reflective of my personal self, which is something unavoidable that I love. Personally, a permanent state of introspection and self-imposed evolution is what truly overtakes me.
Culturally, I am Czech on my mother's side and Italian on my father's. I grew up outside of Los Angeles in a mountainous equestrian community. I spent every day at the barn and was largely influenced by nature, solitude, animals, and my riding trainer—I possibly spent more time with her than my parents. She made me tough, and question absolutely everything. I worked hard from a very young age to be able to ride as much as I wanted and spend all of my time with horses. A bit self-contained, but these days were most relevant to my upbringing.
Everything visually pertaining to equestrianism is ingrained in me and where I find the most beauty in life. I am so grateful for this part of me. Other than that, I felt that I wasn't exposed to much beyond popular culture and societal norms as a young person. It has since become a calling of mine to find ways to look beyond what I have already laid eyes on. I don't feel as though there was a turning point to this, or even a beginning moment of exploration into more refined art and culture. I am an Aquarius, and naturally contain an urge to do the opposite of the majority, break cycles, challenge society, and so on. And although the culture and media that I do admire travels in a different realm than what is widely popular, I also cannot say that I lean so far in any direction, and am most often wanting to avoid being influenced in any way. I suppose this trait has caused me to look inward more than anywhere else, and only beyond that to the natural world.
What’s a book you have and especially loved?
From Heaven to Arcadia: The Sacred and the Profane in the Renaissance by Ingrid D. Rowland. Although it is a concrete telling of a historical phenomenon and how art literally may arise from darkness, I loved it as a metaphor for modern relationships to ourselves, each other, and our work, and how we can become so transfixed by the surface or outcome of things that we overlook the depths or process. All are apropos of a lifelong discovery of self and struggle with mental well-being.
What does your creative practice look like?
There is a lot of space taken around the act of creating, for which I wait until I’m in a ready state of mind.
I love to peruse ancient objects to reflect on what I find as timeless and still resonant today. My work comes from a place of passion; the main objective is to share beautiful things that I really love and think others will, too. It's a means for connection and a much slower and meaningful process than what has become the standard for creation and consumption these days. I think longevity and true appreciation are most important for my pieces, and I create very slowly so as to not compromise these values.
Are there any books that inform your creative practice as a designer?
Perusing books of beautiful imagery, objects, and design contributes to my desire to create. I wouldn’t say that this is directly informative to my practice, as I prefer to pull from memories and personal perception when designing, and avoid direct inspiration.
I do turn to a few that I have, such as a small 1990s Parisian title on Cartier or a collection of images of villas and gardens in Tuscany, to embody a mood that creating jewelry invokes for me. And the idea of a concisely put-together printed work inspires me to find ways for my own work—more so, all the erratic ideas constantly running in my mind—to live under one overarching and distinct sense of me.
What are you working on now?
Realizing some of the many ideas that I have written down over the past year—a few new jewelry pieces to share.
How do you stay continually curious?
I believe that time taken to explore is foundational to any creative practice and would recommend intentionally setting time aside to do so. I feel the same about time that has absolutely nothing to do with your creative practice—to create space. I love to go to the Getty Villa in Los Angeles, hike along the coast, flip through books on architectural and interior design that are at least a couple of decades old, and browse auction sites.
What’s your perfect reading day?
Home by a fire, next to big windows with rain falling outside. Wearing easy denim, socks, and a sweater, in the corner of a big comfortable couch or chair. I wrote this in the winter, where now my perfect (spring) scenario happens to be first thing in the morning, sitting in the hot sun that falls on our day bed-like sofa, still by our wide living room windows, and with a coffee, decaf.
Favorite spot to read?
I love to read on the beach, directly on the sand while sunning.
What’s a bookish anecdote that comes to mind?
I often ask my husband to buy books that I come across when we're out together. Sometimes I just like the feeling of them more this way.
What’s the best book you’ve ever been given?
My good friend, Danica Stamenic, gifted me a book last year, A Guide to Czech and Slovak Glass, just because she saw it and thought of me.
What are you looking for when you’re in search of a “good book?”
To me, a book worth reading will challenge my perception and provide a new frame of reference, either for life or a specific circumstance or relationship. I'm very much drawn to human experiences along with philosophical and psychological thought.
“There is a lot of space taken around the act of creating, for which I must wait until I’m in a ready state of mind. ”
How would you describe your reading style?
I read to either clear my thoughts, learn, or address a way of thinking or mindset. I will often keep multiple in-progress books at a time to have the option to choose what aligns with how I feel on a given day.
What’s your personal style, in general?
I think that most of what I wear can always be recontextualized to fit some sort of equestrian concept in the classic sense. My casual days always end up feeling a bit dressed up, and I'm most comfortable in a balanced space of androgyny. I find myself wearing a lot of miscellaneous vintage and am most interested in utilitarian silhouettes that are timeless and feel like me. I love neutrals, and red.
Why is reading worthwhile to you?
Reading is meditative, informative, and often brings me closer to the ways that I intend to interact with my world.
What’s one book recommendation you would give to the So Textual Community?
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. If one is frustrated with modern society, as I am, it helps to be reminded of the history behind those frustrations.
What are you looking forward to reading next?
All About Love by bell hooks.
