"To get lost is to learn the way." ~ African proverb.

I was back earlier in the month to my workbench with a new project in mind.

Amongst the many passions I have for different cultures throughout the world  - many of which I had already touched upon through my jewelry making journey at some point - the African one in particular stands out very strongly in my psyche. I just never had enough courage or knowledge to merge that passion into my creations, until recently. 

While I haven't yet been to Africa, with the exception of Egypt, I did have the privilege of encountering many beautiful people from different countries of the continent over the years. I had learned about the many different - and sometimes similar - African traditions through the diverse countries and different states. I discovered the ways of the Africans, the norms, the mannerisms, the languages, and lifestyles. The art in general has also always been a huge window through which I was able to to sneak in and learn about (and often be cracked open by) the African passion. The music in particular having a huge impact on me, both old and contemporary. At one point in my life too I played west African percussion for good few years, learning from different teachers, and playing with different groups locally, through some of the most beautiful traditional village style rhythms, techniques, and songs. 

The African arts and people have touched me very deeply, and so I wanted to honor this culture in my own humble way. It is why when I decided to bring this passion into my craft recently, I felt somewhat apprehensive. I wanted to do a decent job, something fitting, but I just wasn't sure where to begin. My researching of African jewelry as a base to my endeavor came short; I stumbled mostly upon colorful beaded or fabric pieces. They're very pretty in their own way, but I really wanted to incorporate the metal element. 

Eventually, I discovered Adinkra, and found myself venturing into the world of its symbols. I thought this might be a good place to start, and so I printed out some of the shapes that called to me and started experimenting. What adds depth and fun working with these shapes is that each one of them has a clear and direct meaning, with often a word or messages / aphorisms assigned to each symbol, hence combining perfectly to me both worlds: shapes and words. 

I'm excited about this new project and how it might unfold, though I don't have a specific plan for it (yet), I'm just going with the flow. Currently allowing myself the simple pleasure of metal sheets sawing, while getting myself familiarized with more African tales and traditions. 

Below are the very first pieces I sawed, the first one being the symbol of God. 

I am uploading more photos as per usual to my Pinterest. If you enjoyed this, you might like this board.