Beyond Flesh: Myths in Metals, Stones and Bones, a series of nine works developed during a decade of culling precious and semi-precious stones, minerals, and antique jewelry, which have undergone a process of deconstruction and reconsideration. They have been reworked and interwoven combined with ethnic, textured components into startling objects that question the feasibility of a post-colonial future.
An American artist of mixed ancestry, Sha utilizes materials associated with her Black, Native American, and Western European descent, which she collected nomadically across four continents. Integrating ivory, bone, horsehair, quills, and lava with her curated foundational gold and silver pieces from Morocco and Namibia, the objects take on new purpose and claim an agency of their own. Confronting shifting landscapes of colonialism and globalism, Sha exposes seemingly ordinary objects as flickering shadows of a capitalist oppression; She reclaims and reconstructs them as ritual acts of transmutation and healing.
"Mind-Open-Field"
Deconstructed antique Berber headpiece (circa 1920) of silver, alloy and glass, Ethiopian silver, emerald, tanzanite, silver, chrysocolla, pyrite, excavated ostrich shells (circa 1900) from Mali, American turquoise, Balinese glass, deconstructed necklace from the Kuchi tribe in Afghanistan, labradorite, cork, moss agate, spinel, pearl.
"The Sheltering Sky"
Amber chandelier crystal from Morocco, sunstone, garnet, vintage Czech brass, Tibetan Rudraksha prayer seeds, brass, onyx, black spinel, glass, garnet, Brazilian agate plated in 24kt gold, onyx, carnelian, black lava, Czech glass, African copper, African glass.
"Red Rising"
Deconstructed antique Berber headpiece (circa 1920) of silver, alloy and glass, ruby, Ethiopian silver, garnet, brown lava, black spinel, dyed quartzite, pyrite, glass, bone, horn.
"Venice Circa"
Antique Italian enamel deconstructed earring with crystals (circa 1930s), antique Czech glass, ostrich shells (circa 1900) excavated in Mali, ruby, pink tourmaline, pearl, carnelian, gold, brass, copper, vintage brass findings, ivory, sunstone, Venetian “green heart” glass (circa 1400-1800) from Murano, Venice, white porcelain beads (circa 1800-1900) from Nigeria, gold, pearl, ivory (circa 1920), camel bone, clay beads from Mali, brass chain.
"Desert Meets Sea"
Pietersite, silver, gold, sapphire, blue spinel, onyx, horn, sodalite, tanzanite, pyrite, lapis lazuli, labradorite, brass, bamboo, ancient blue Roman gass (circa 1200'1600), lava, dyed quartzite, African glass.
"Wholly Perfect"
'pierre lourde' foundation stone from Mali, distressed vintage chandelier crystal, sunstone, gold vermeil connector, carnelian, garnet, gold-filled chain.
"All That Sparkles"
Deconstructed vintage bracelet from the 1950s designed by Selro, pearl, dyed quartzite, iron nails, American horsehair, onyx, sapphire, black spinel, African glass, Brazilian rutilated quartz, black lava, gold-filled chain, pyrite.
"Her Feral Cocktail"
Vintage aurora borealis rhinestone crystal bracelet (circa 1950s) from Czechoslovakia, ostrich feathers, American horsehair, African glass, tanzanite, pyrite, sapphire, brass, agate, antique excavated ostrich shell (circa 1900), Venetian “green heart” glass (circa 1400-1800), gold, Hawaiian mgambo “velvet” seeds, gold, vintage brass chain.
"Priestess' Prayer"
Vintage metal mesh collar (circa 1980's), iridescent rooster feathers, onyx, black spinel, brass, labradorite.
″The Sheltering Sky″ - Amber chandelier crystal from Morocco, sunstone, garnet, vintage Czech brass, Tibetan Rudraksha prayer seeds, brass, onyx, black spinel, glass, garnet, Brazilian agate plated in 24kt gold, onyx, carnelian, black lava, Czech glass, African copper, African glass.
New York City-based artist, Sha (née Michele) Kelly became fascinated with the art of jewelry-making as a child spending time with her aunt, a jewelry maker and abstract painter in New York City’s vibrant downtown arts scene of the 1980s. She inherited the sense that jewelry is more than bodily adornment; it is talisman and transformative.
At Dartmouth College, Sha studied Latin literature and Roman archaeology. She travelled throughout Italy studying ancient ruins, which both sparked her perception of artifacts and antiques as windows to the past and cultivated her appreciation for rarity and eye for fine detail.
In the 1990s, under the name Michele Kelly, she forged an expansive career as an actress in Hollywood and New York City. She worked in television, film, commercials, and stage opposite Oscar winner Jamie Foxx, Ryan Reynolds, Lucy Liu, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and under the direction of Spike Lee.
In 2004, drawn by a distinctive and original underground arts movement, Sha moved to San Francisco, California where she became deeply influenced by the art, fashion, and music community that birthed the rise of fashion designers Skingraft, Majesty Black (Madonna, Kat Von D), and House of Malakai (Beyoncé). Sha designed sets for stylist Gita Salem (Prince) and acted as poet and writer amongst that group. It is there in San Francisco that Sha returned to making jewelry and began to incorporate archetypal imagery and feral references into her pieces.
Through her art, Sha interweaves classical inspirations with the more primal instincts.
Sha holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classical Studies, with emphasis on Latin. She lives in New York City yet travels extensively in search of rare, transcendent materials for her jewelry.