The “Tribe” – Wearable Sculpture that packs a Wallop!

Michelle Vara’s created The Tribe collection as an intersection of sculpture and jewelry inspired by the artist journey cross country in 2018, and more specifically Michelle’s time spent in Arizona exposed to kachina mythology of Pueblo Indians.

Michelle has always been interested in the story of object and tradition and ancestral spirits, her interests are sparked by artist like Hilma af Klint, as in the spiritualist practice as a medium and reflect an effort to articulate mystical views of reality through visual output. (1) Each piece in this series is conceived through meditation and drawings.

Michelle has been working on a theory of object, that contains memory and conveys in real time to and through an individual.

About Kachinas

Many different styles of kachinas exist to provide different types of examples and guidance for the tribe. Each type has a particular set of characteristics, and a distinctive personality. When impersonated, a costume, song style, and set of body movements are both repeated and unique. Most kachinas are considered benevolent friends, although some are clowns and still others punish wayward people. (2)

As Michelle read into American Indian lore and traditions, she started thinking how Kachina theory crossed into her object as a vessel idea. Michelle then started looking for a common object that contained energy and is accelerated by intimate interaction with humans, in that she choose the spoon to create the “Tribe” collection. The “Tribe” is supported by a structure that uses reclaimed materials that hold metaphor, history, experience, and reference.

About the Amulet

The Michelle reworked the spoons into amulets that can be worn as jewelry. The spoon serves as an intimate vessel for quality of being, capturing life force, exuberance, memory, emotion of human daily life. Michelle chooses spoons for their found color, finish, size, shape, and how they have worn through use.

The spoon amulet connects in many ways like, motion energy and sound waves of a bell-like clanking when one stirs. Stirring opens a vortex of energy relationships and references. The spoon forms a personal relation through the mouth, saliva relating intake or feeding. The spoon amulet also considers family, familiarity, task, experience, and is exposed to all human emotional states, going mostly unnoticed. The Amulets are then incorporated into a sculpture framework as a holder which allows the amulet to convey the communication further.

For the origanal post please click the link –

https://www.michellevara.com/kachina-pendants-many/