Kind Karma x L'Uomo Strano
Although initially meant as a collaboration for Black History Month, our production of this unique pendant experienced significant delays which pushed our launch back a couple of months. Still, we couldn't wait to share this piece and since we believe in celebrating black history, inclusion and unique cultures all year, we hope you'll still find time to learn about the meaning and significance behind this limited edition necklace!
Originally designed in honour of Black History Month but just as relevant every month of the year, this beautiful necklace is the result of our collaboration with Mic Carter, the founder, designer and genius behind the non-binary fashion house L'Uomo Strano. Drawing on his own experiences and research into the history of black experiences and cultures, Mic designed this piece which we then made into reality.
This unisex piece features a stunning pendant on which is etched the Adinkra symbol Kojo Baiden and a unique Baroque Pearl Drop strung on a thick rolo chain that is sure to stand out.
What is Adinkra?
Adinkra are ancient African symbols that date back to the Akan people in 19th century Ivory Coast and Ghana. While many symbols represent a proverb or piece of wisdom, other symbols may depict historical events, customs, culture, the natural world or environment. Adinkra have historically been painted or printed onto cloth which was then worn during important sacred ceremonies including funerals, weddings, naming festivities and more.
The Kojo Baiden Symbol
Similar to God's Eye and literally translated to mean "rays" (because of the rays emanating from the bottom of the eye like rays of light), this symbol that is similar to the all-seeing eye is meant to represent how we are all connected to the universe and to one another. It is also a symbol of the cosmos, intuition and omnipresence.
Why the Baroque Pearl?
Winston Churchill once described Uganda as the "Pearl of Africa" but Mic chose a baroque pearl to accompany this necklace as a nod to the growth of the African Diaspora due to the process of pearling. In the late nineteenth century, a global demand for pearls ignited a surge in pearl production that transformed the Gulf economy. Many of the divers who made this transformation in production possible were African or of African descent. As demand for pearls in Europe and North America soared, the value of pearl exports from the Gulf’s primary export center increased more than eight times in the twenty years between 1885 and 1905, and then nearly doubled again in the following ten years.
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Special Edition Saturn Medallion
Afrofuturism creates a space for those from the Black Diaspora to explore issues in the present and how they will manifest in the future. Created in 1993 by Mark Derry, this term is now used to describe works that explore black experience in the science-fiction genre. However, Afrofuturism goes beyond spaceships, androids and aliens, and encompasses African mythology and cosmology with an aim to connect those from across the Black Diaspora to their forgotten African ancestry. Since the planet Saturn is central to Afrofuturism, these Special Edition pieces feature a special medallion with the planet etched on so the necklace encompasses the complete passage of time: past (the Adinkra Kojo Baiden), transition (the pearl drop) and future (the Saturn pendant).
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS
All modeled photography are courtesy of Matt Tibo Photography