A well-respected and indisputably talented African American designer, Dorian Webb has been about the business of handcrafting unique jewelry and houseware since her junior year at Yale University. Her most recent creation, a cuff bracelet, pays homage to the Black Lives Matter movement. Characteristically bold and seemingly taking flight, the beautiful piece dutifully represents a symbol of hope.
Webb spoke to rolling out about her newest piece of art, among other things.
What inspired you to create the BLM cuff?
I have wanted to do something to support this important movement for a while. I think because the subject was such a personal one for me it took a longer time to release it into the world. When I won a grant from the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce for pandemic relief, I earmarked those funds to develop the idea of the cuff. It seemed fitting.
Why did you choose the butterfly as a symbol?
For me, the butterfly is a symbol of unbridled hope and fabulousness. I first started to use it in a fundraising cuff for the last election. Long recognized as a symbol of metamorphosis, butterflies intrigue me, not for the arduous transformation they undergo, but instead for being the glorious creatures they defiantly are. That, to me, is the ultimate symbol of hope: Fiercely believing in the existence of our beautiful wings before they are visible to anyone else.
Continue reading on the next page.
