Cowrie (2024)

Ceramic, eucalyptus branch, gold leaf

18 x 20 Inches

“Cowrie” engages with the layered cultural and historical significance of cowrie shells in Black history, exploring their duality as symbols of wealth, identity, and the trauma of the transatlantic slave trade. By embedding ceramic cowries with gold leaf and pairing them with organic eucalyptus branches, I reinterpret these shells as both protective talismans and markers of vulnerability. The work draws on early Black press, particularly Freedom’s Journal (1827), which chronicled racial injustices and cautioned Black communities navigating systemic threats. Similarly, inspiration comes from The Negro Motorist Green Book, a survival guide that highlighted the dangers of kidnapping, lynching, and sundown towns. By linking the cowrie’s historical function as currency with the ongoing vigilance required of Black life, this piece becomes both a meditation on resilience and a reflection on generational memory. The tactile and visual contrasts ceramic rigidity, delicate eucalyptus, and shimmering gold mirror the tension between oppression and empowerment, past and present. Cowrie ultimately positions the viewer to confront the complexities of Black identity, memory, and the persistence of protective strategies across time, asserting that symbols can carry both pain and power simultaneously.