Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 37
Occupation: Jeweler.
Instagram: @omiwoods
Hometown: Toronto.
Studio location: Toronto.
Describe what you make: Timeless Africana jewelry made with fair trade/fair-mined African gold, recycled, and re-refined fine metals.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Our sculptural bangles. They’re bold and can be curated on the arm in so many different ways.
Describe the problem your work solves: Creating contemporary, fine jewelry inspired by Africa and the diaspora. Most of the jewelry of this kind is costume, and is made of mystery metals. We work exclusively with gold and silver.
Describe the project you are working on now: There are always a million design projects unfolding at once. We’re partnering with an actress from my hometown named Andrea Lewis to make pieces inspired by the flowers and food from the Caribbean. We’re expanding our Nubia inspired collection, and continuing to add vintage coins to our catalog.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Omi Woods launched a design collaboration with actress and filmmaker Andrea Lewis featuring earrings and rings made with Hibiscus and Sorrel plants over the holidays. A popular winter time drink for people of the Caribbean, the two will be joined by Celebrity Chef Adrian Forte in the Spring for a series of dinner parties that feature dishes and drinks infused with the flower, popular in various tropical recipes. The first drop from the collection can be purchased online now on omiwoods.com or in person at Ayesha Curry’s outpost Sweet July in San Francisco.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Sunlight.
What you do when you’re not working: I like to cook fresh and diverse homemade meals, travel, and ride my bike.
Sources of creative envy: Timeless jewelry from houses like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, and archival photos of adornment pieces from across Africa and South America. As for one person, the jeweler Art Smith.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Instagram.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise with lots of square footage.
Remember or forget? Remember, but I often forget.
Aliens or ghosts? Friendly ghosts.
Dark or light? Light
