Rashid Johnson – Lizworks Anxious Men Gold Pendant with Blackened Silver Chain

Johnson was raised in Chicago under the Afro-centric values of his parents, and the Anxious Men collection interweaves his childhood memories with references to African American intellectual history and cultural identity. The Anxious Men jewels are intended to act as talismans against the anxiety and torment that Johnson often experiences in the U.S. black community, or as he puts it, “The work is about a negotiation with fear, the awareness of its impact and an ability to illustrate those feelings.”

Johnson developed this gold pendant on a blackened silver chain to reference the long history of chains and jewels in the African American community. He explains, “There is a rich history in the black community and in my family of folks wearing one’s wealth. I grew up a child of hip hop, a lot of my heroes wore jewellery. There is a great interview on David Letterman with Mr. T where Letterman jokingly asks him why he wears so much jewellery. Mr. T replies that his ancestors were brought here with chains around their necks and wrists. He wears gold chains now, which makes people uncomfortable."

The Anxious Men jewellery series by Rashid Johnson x LIZWORKS is exclusively available at Carpenters Workshop Gallery. There is also a version of this pendant on a leather cord.