Naomi Johnson
she/they
Chicago, IL, USA
Naomi (she/they) is an artist & researcher based in Chicago, IL. Through metalsmithing they explore themes of playfulness, kinship, & cultural (il)legibility at the intersections of race, gender, & sexuality. They own Metal Petal Jewelry & co-lead Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts.
“This piece is a celebration of queer transformation through a Black lens. It is inspired by my first time cutting my hair short as a teen – an early assertion of my queerness, though I did not know it the time. Through bright body jewelry, I imagine what it would have looked like for this act to have been celebrated as a rite of passage by drawing on my own ancestral connection. A brass abstract comb design, inspired by Mangbetu hair pins, is the center of the work. Spiraled hemp & beads serve to make the work into wearable art.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“Material choices are a reflection of my identities – specifically Blackness and queerness. Many of my pieces, like this one, use mixed media and resist Western ideals of purity. I am deeply inspired by African styles of adornment which use various materials and often emphasize color. Red hemp cord is reminiscent of the practice among cultures like the Maasai of dying hair with ochre. The colorful seed beads, also found in many African cultures, are flashy and eye-catching. This ties into my ideals of adornment to loudly express joy, identity, and self-expression as a reaction to the suppression of both queerness and POC identities."
"Superfluous Comb", Brass, hemp cord, seed beads, wire, 4.25" x 29", 2024Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
“The queerness of the maker and subject are intertwined in this piece. The work is both autobiographical and fanciful as it imagines alternative reactions to queerness. It also suggests that one can choose to celebrate oneself, and one’s community whenever one likes."
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“Western decorative styles in jewelry are often limited to a small number of both media and forms (ring/necklace/bracelet/earring). By seeking out inspiration in African body jewelry and by mixing bead work with textile and metalsmithing, I can transgress those limitations and express myself more freely. The piece I create embraces the forms of my body and in turn more adequately reflects the different facets of my identity."