The origin story behind the floral series dates back to August 5, 2023 at my first art exhibition in Memphis, TN. My friend Kelsey Teague brought me celebratory flowers for the occasion and I was overjoyed. Prior to that, I had never been a recipient of flowers and the gesture made me feel so happy. It then made me think about the idea of receiving flowers as a man, a black man at that, and how we’re often on the giving end but never on the receiving end of flowers until we’re dead. This series is inspired by the idea of receiving your flowers while you can still smell them no matter your gender. Flowers to our loved ones often express emotions of gratitude, appreciation, respect, and love in tangible ways. My hope is that each custom piece represents that for the recipient whether displayed or worn as brooch.
