2025

fine silver, enamel, overglaze, vesuvianite, stainless steel piercings, leather

This bolo tie is one half of a pair that reimagines the orchid flower as a site of chosen pain and sensuality. Phalaenopsis dilectio ("affection" or "love") softens into rounded, blue forms, embodying fluidity and tenderness. The petals are pierced, referencing body modification practices like tattooing and piercing as intimate rituals of self-claiming and preservation.

This piece was fully hand-fabricated from five layers of sheet metal, hammer-formed, enameled through multiple high-heat firings, and riveted together. The vitreous enamel process—fusing powdered glass to metal—mirrors the body's negotiations between fragility and resilience. (check out Instagram for process photos)

Traditionally a symbol of Western masculinity, the bolo tie has evolved into an androgynous form of adornment, allowing for fluid expressions of identity. By merging pierced, enameled orchids with this historically gendered accessory, the dyptic explores dualities of empowerment and vulnerability.