Hali Armstrong is a ceramic artist and the designer behind Hechizo (Spanish for 'spell' or 'handmade magical charm'). Combining clay, metal and textiles into items made to adorn both people and homes, Hechizo pieces are the fruits of Hali's deep interest in materials, process and meaning.
Inspired by her family's legacy of tailoring and carpentry, a diversity of materials and techniques are staple of Hechizo designs. Themes of femininity, motherhood and stewardship of the natural world are explored through use of domestic crafts such as embroidery paired with laboriously textured surfaces featuring organic motifs. Hali received a BFA in Sculpture and Extended Media from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2006 and worked in product design in NYC before starting Hechizo ceramic jewelry in 2014 which was featured in over one hundred boutiques across the country including Anthropologie, Hauser & Wirth and ABC Carpet and Home. The studio was relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Richmond Virginia in 2017. In 2023 Hali created a collection of jewelry-inspired lamps and Hechizo's Two Fish Striped Lamp was the 2024 Made In The South Awards grand prize winner.
Today Hechizo is a ceramic studio specializing in craft lighting, jewelry and home wares that are unabashedly ornamental. Hali strives to edify decorative art and American craft traditions in her studio practice by pairing contemporary themes with playful applications.Hali lives and works near the James river in Richmond, VA with her husband and three young daughters.
