Accessories – Honolulu
I\'ve been metalsmithing for about 4 years now, and hip hop, as both music and a culture, has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I also attended the University of Texas at Austin for Apparel Design, while concurrently taking art classes. My jewelry collection is a combination of my past experiences, as I want it to be contemporary and progressive, but also chic and fashionable. My goal is to make wearable art. Since I also plan on becoming a Master Jeweler, I crave to make fine jewelry from an art that originated from the streets, and changed into a respected form of expression. I believe that graffiti is a fine art, and design ideas which translate into metal continually flow in my head. I\'ve collaborated with deejays, rappers, and graffiti artists to make custom pieces based on their lifestyle, and I want to change the idea of \'bling.\' I consider modern-day bling to be a form of Conspicuous Consumption, where musicians and rappers wear it simply to showcase their spending. However, I believe that with the graffiti jewelry I make, one can represent the hip hop culture while wearing a unique piece that supports artistic ideas and does more than buy into the idea of a display of wealth. What I make is unique and set apart from what people think of as typical jewelry, and I plan to keep challenging people\'s mindsets.