Deadhead Expresses Possibilities Through Glass
March 15, 2026
When Natalia Mauer finally made space for herself, the kind that silenced the doubting voice in her head, she knew exactly what she was meant to do in life.
The native Brazilian artist initially pursued the sciences at Grinnell College and again at New York University, where she earned her master’s. Yet that focus combining psychology with neuroscience didn’t impassion her. Instead, it created an existential crisis that forced reflection.
“I wasn’t trusting my instincts of loving to work with my hands,” she says. “I love art. I love being creative.”
Natalia’s artistic journey is heavily influenced by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. His philosophy is the foundation for Haus of Jung, her brand that specializes in handmade leather accessories catered to individual needs.
Despite her psychology major and graduate degree, Natalia hadn’t read much from Jung until after her formal education.
“When I started reading Jung, that energy just landed into my life,” she says.
Jung’s philosophy embraces the interplay between the conscious and unconscious. He recognized the importance of listening to the inner self rather than disavowing it for being inconvenient. His quest to “Know Thyself” involved integrating self-realization to discover purpose in life.
Reading Jung’s book, “The Undiscovered Self” and taking a class at the C.G. Jung Institute of New York forced Natalia to dig deep to ask herself the kind of questions helped her discover her own truths.
Why did a recurring memory of watching a woman on TV making a shoe resonate with her? The 15-second clip was from a period when she was visiting her family in Argentina.
“It was a dainty little woman who was in her 40s or 50s saying, ‘I made this shoe,’” Natalia recalls. “It was such a paradigm shift for me, and that image stuck.”
As a young professional, Natalia lived in New York City, home to the Fashion Institute of Technology. Hungry to create with her hands, she asked to sit in on a handbag class that encouraged her to apply for the program. Her third degree – an accelerated associate in leather accessory design – became her most rewarding.
“I was finally showing up for myself,” she says. “I was finally giving my body the expression it needed. I knew I needed to speak with my body. The sciences were so heady, I wasn’t speaking with my body.”
Natalia knew being a full-time artist would be challenging, but she didn’t want to spend life rejecting her passion because the road to achieving it would be difficult.
The first time she showed her work in Queens, Natalia sold one item – a hat she had put her logo on.
“I’m going to be here and do what I want,” she reminded herself.
She knew patience had to be part of the journey. Developing her brand required skills she needed to hone. She hadn’t worked with leather before. Nor did she have a sewing background.
Her growth was grassroots. Natalia spent years working part time on her art while keeping other jobs to pay the bills. Her advice to young artists is not to force the dream, adding, “You can’t expedite your art.”
Today the original work she creates in her Richmond, Virginia, studio blends traditional techniques with industrial machines. She delights in customizing accessories that include backpacks, crossbody bags, tablet bags, various totes, fanny packs and more, such as belts, passport cases, bookmarks and coasters.
All of the leather she uses is a product of the meat and dairy industry, a sustainable practice for the environment. Natalia does not work with exotic leather and has experimented with some true vegan leathers (e.g., leaf), but these (cactus, pineapple, mushroom, etc.) are still plastic-based and not very durable. She’s waiting for them to become more environmentally friendly and long-lasting.
Natalia found her style in a unique manner. “How you correct your mistakes is one way to stylistically find your voice,” she says. “Trust the process and that greater energy out there is your path.”
Chatting with customers is her favorite way to receive feedback. “I love exchanging ideas,” she says. “That really helps develop the functional needs to my bags. My life experience doesn’t require an EpiPen, but a conversation showed me that I could make a slot a half inch wider and fit an Epi pack. I can immediately pivot my designs to whatever someone’s needs are.”
Meet Natalia and browse her Haus of Jung booth at Rose Squared Art Shows at Rittenhouse Square Spring ( May 8-10) and Fall (Oct. 9-11) and Brookdale Park Spring (June 20-21) and Fall (Oct. 17-18).
