Material and Symbol
I have been working closely with a small set of materials. Wool, hemp, copper, bone, stone, and glass. Each one carries its own history. Each one holds a role.
When these materials come together, they form a language.
The bracelet and the medicine bag I recently created are built from that language. They are small in scale. They are dense in meaning.
Copper sits at the center of both pieces. It has been used across cultures for its ability to conduct. In practical terms, it carries electricity. In traditional belief, it carries energy and intention. It moves what is present and gives direction to it.
The eye appears in both pieces as a symbol. It has existed for thousands of years in different forms. It is a marker of awareness. It represents the act of seeing clearly. The evil eye bead is carried as protection. It reflects harmful intention away from the body and guards the wearer.
Wool forms the base of the medicine bag. It comes from the body of an animal. It holds warmth and memory. It has been used for clothing, shelter, and protection for as long as people have worked with fiber. When it is shaped by hand, it carries both the life of the animal and the imprint of the maker.
Hemp creates the outer structure. It binds the form and holds tension. It has been used for rope, nets, and textiles because of its strength and endurance. In this context, it acts as a framework that keeps everything contained and connected.
Bone and skull forms mark the presence of death. They serve as reminders of what remains after life has passed. They carry a long history of use in ritual and protection. They keep the awareness of mortality close to the body.
Stone anchors the piece. It adds weight and stability. It connects the object back to the ground and carries the slow time of the earth.
Glass holds light. It reflects and refracts. It shifts depending on how it is seen.
Each material carries its own meaning. When combined, they build on one another and deepen the message held within the object.
The structure matters as much as the material. Crochet creates a looping system that builds from a single thread into a larger form. Macrame creates knots that fix tension in place and establish a stable structure.
These techniques reinforce the meaning held in the materials.
The result is an object that holds multiple layers at once. Material, structure, symbol, and intention.
Across time, people have made objects like this. They have used what was available to them. They have shaped it with their hands. They have assigned meaning through use and repetition. They have carried these objects on the body.
That practice continues.
These pieces exist within that lineage. They are made from natural materials. They are shaped through handwork. They carry symbols that have persisted across cultures.
They are small and close to the body. They are meant to be held, worn, and carried.
They are a way of working with material as language.
