Kiff Slemmons is a self-taught jeweler revered for transforming inexpensive and discarded materials into breathtaking works of art. She has collaborated over many years with the indigenous artisans of Taller Arte Papel Vista Hermosa ("Arte Papel") in Oaxaca, Mexico to produce handmade paper jewelry. Arte Papel was founded in 1999 by artist Francisco Toledo with a mission to create a papermaking workshop using plants native to the Oaxacan region.
In 2000, Toledo invited Slemmons to work as artist-in-residence. The goal was for Slemmons to develop jewelry designs that the atelier staff could produce and sell, creating a sustainable business that would help ameliorate local poverty. She also encouraged the artisans to add their personal touches to the pieces, conceiving the work as a true collaboration.
Milagros #1 is a breastplate, a format in which Slemmons has often worked. It is also influenced by imagery of Mexican calaveras and skeletons used during Día de los Muertos celebrations. Slemmons asked each artisan to write ten wishes on taller paper that was rolled into the bone-like beads and assembled. Milagros (translated as "miracles") are small religious folk charms worn to bring healing and good luck. They are the physical manifestation of a wish or prayer. The piece thus contains Slemmons’ wishes together with those of her local collaborators.
Bobbye Tigerman, Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator, Decorative Arts and Design, 2020
