I use jewelrymaking as a way to envision a future where queer people can be protected and supported by the world they live in. I like jewelry as a medium because you spend so much time working on these small objects, focusing intensely on such a tiny object steeps it in intentional energy. Being adorned with this very specific tender care and attention provides a certain protection. I think of my own pieces as guardians. This is important to me because as a queer person I want to nurture a space for queer bodies in navigating the world.
I make jewelry out of beads, silver, bronze, and steel. I use materials that are almost all repurposed or recycled. In my practice, I study the foundational techniques of jewelry making. These include gem setting styles like bead and prong setting. I am interested in incorporating these skills with recycled and repurposed forms to fit an aesthetic that is subversive to the historical social norms that jewelry is reserved for only the rich. I also use lost wax casting, a technique that creates more handmade and organic forms to further build on that style.
I’ve learned a lot from artist Sha Sha Higby. She talks to her pieces, regards them as alive after being embedded with her life essence in being created. Her work has influenced my practice. I hope that my work promotes a kind of confidence needed to interact with a society that doesn’t always welcome people, who have different body types and ideals such as those who are enveloped in queer culture. In my community, I trade my pieces for other artworks to celebrate the spiritual development of our relationship. This social process is valuable because it is a reciprocal gesture to protect each other.
I work with art collective organizations that share a similar vision, such as Land of Arden, an experimental boutique based in Chicago. My work has been sold at You Are Hot Stuff, a queer run collective in Berkeley, California and The Crucible, a non profit in West Oakland, California