Thinking Caps
Traditional African hairstyles, science fiction, and cloche hats of the 1920’s aesthetically inspire Thinking Cap series. It also explores ideas of protection. Previously, I did a series of jewelry that protected my personal space: people couldn’t get close to me (when I wore these pieces) and at times I had to consciously navigate as I moved, in order not to bump others or fit through doors. The thinking cap series takes this idea further by protecting my thoughts and in some cases, even representing them.
By incorporating universal joints with mechanisms that allowed the hats to be one-size-fits-all, each piece in the series accommodates head sizes 21-24. While these pieces are not for every day use, they are extremely comfortable and wearable. I believe jewelry, by definition is functional. Whether or not it is wearable is another matter. For the audience to believe in its functionality, a piece of jewelry must truly satisfy the parameters of function: the clasps must close, the ring size has to fit a finger, and the mechanisms must work, otherwise the audience will not be able to picture themselves wearing it, and the jewelry will become something else.