lorena angulo

Texas jewelry designer Lorena Angulo draws on her Mexican heritage and culture in her work.

“My jewelry designs are a representation of who I am and where I come from,” said Angulo.

Artist: Born in Mexico, where Angulo grew up traveling and living in various states. Her native country exposed her to different folk art forms and traditions. Later she moved to Texas to be closer to her family.

Angulo’s passion for her culture motivated her to start taking metalsmithing classes at the Southwest School of Art in San Antonio in 2006. She became a teacher at the school a couple of years later.

The school became part of University of Texas at San Antonio and is now known as UTSA Southwest Campus.

Studio: Lorena Angulo started making jewelry in 2006. The jewelry designer works out of her home studio in the greater Houston area of Friendswood

Art & materials: Handcrafted jewelry made with silver, copper, silver metal clay, bronze metal clay, brass, seed beads and mixed media ($50 to $1,500).

What’s popular: Milagro Hearts, Folk Birds and the Tree of Life designs.

Favorite or must-have tools: Micro-carving tools (for the many details in her designs) and her kiln.

Inspirations: Mexican folk art and cultural traditions that represent where she comes from.

Special commissions:

A sterling silver cuff for a bride to wear at her wedding. She wanted to create a family keepsake. The cuff featured a Tree of Life with two lovebirds in the center of the tree.

“She loved it so much that she came back with her fiancé and commissioned cufflinks for him with the Tree of Life motif to use on their wedding day,” she added.

A memorial piece in honor of her father’s passing in 2019.

“Losing him was so painful that I needed to create a piece that would honor him forever,” said Angulo. “I created necklaces for my sisters and me. I also created a special brooch for me in his honor.”
Recent awards/honors:

Racine Art Museum purchased two pieces of jewelry with a craft acquisition grant received from the Windgate Foundation. 2022.
CERF+ Emergency Assistance Grant. 2022.

Recent exhibition: Houston Center for Contemporary Art. 2025.

What’s new: Weaving seed beads into designs she creates using brass wire that she solders together.

“This gives me the opportunity to create very colorful pieces of jewelry,” said Angulo.

What’s next: Explore making jewelry by wire crocheting.

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