One of the most well known images of the storyteller hails from West Africa. There, griots are honored for their talent in maintaining the cultural traditions of poetry, music and storytelling. But storytellers have been around since the beginning sharing the stories of how we began. From the time we spent our nights telling stories around the fire and drawing the lives of ancestors on cave walls, storytelling has been integral to our human existence. The most important part of our stories is that they are all connected.
How we clothe and adorn ourselves is one of the most fundamental ways that we tell our stories. Do you have one tattoo, none, or ten? Do you wear a suit to work everyday or shorts? Do you have a diamond necklace around your neck or cowrie shells? Though these choices might seem benign, they tell others a little bit about your background, income, interests, and passions. We adorn ourselves to impress, frighten, and seduce on a daily basis.
The newest collection from Urban Temple Jewelry (The Urban Atelier) is Storyteller. This collection explores the stories we tell others and the stories we tell ourselves. Fancy yourself a beach goddess? Are you a king or a ladies’ man? A teacher? A leader? Storyteller poses the question: What do you want to say to the rest of the world?
The collection will make its debut at Violet Ray Vintage in Neptune Beach, August 21st 2014 during the North Beaches ArtWalk.
To celebrate the collection every week leading up to the show I’ll be sharing great human stories real and imagined from history, tv, books, and everywhere.
If you have a great story or know a great story feel free to share!