Friendship

'An inspiration from the warmth and comfort of a friend,' confides Akwele Suma of these earrings. She crafts the pair by hand-forming cylinders of rolled-up recycled paper. Flanked by sese wood beads, the earrings hang from brass wires.

The artist uses the paper at hand so paper colors will vary, making each design a unique example of handcrafted art. These beads receive a protective coat of clear nail polish.