While some may see scraps on the ground as trash, UF architecture junior Mu Mudenda sees them as the opposite: precious building blocks for her one-of-a-kind jewelry line.
Mudenda, 21, has produced her own line of unconventional jewelry since she moved to the U.S. from Zambia in 2007. Her recent work focuses on two collections that use driftwood and bullet casing.
After selling by word-of-mouth, providing custom orders and using Etsy, an online handmade marketplace, Mudenda branched into the Gainesville market when local boutique Wolfgang took notice and began to sell rings from her collection.
Mudenda described the line - which also includes necklaces - as bold, edgy and earthy. She likes using scrap materials, such as wood and metal, and coupling them with materials with contrasting texture, such as pearl and stone.
"I let the material determine the outcome of my work, just as nature intended," she said.
Mudenda graduated from high school in Zambia in 2005 then opted to attend the Armand Hammer United World College of the American West in New Mexico. The program she was in required students to participate in two hours of extracurricular creative activity. She chose jewelry-making because she liked fashion and clothing.
Tito Chavez, a self-instructed artist and owner of Tito's Gallery in Las Vegas, NM, volunteered at Mudenda's school. He taught her about jewelry construction by emphasizing the fundamentals: torching, soldering, cutting, sawing and shaping.
While working with Mudenda, Chavez recognized the budding artist's innate metal-smith skills.
"Toward the end of her time in my workshop, she produced some remarkable pieces," Chavez said.
Initially, Mudenda experimented with fine jewelry and geometric designs until she settled on using bullet casing in jewelry for a senior portfolio concept. She wanted to challenge the conventional definition of beauty by adorning the body with objects that aren't typically used in fashion.
"You have to have a certain style to wear a 3-inch bullet ring," Mudenda said.
When she took her portfolio to Wolfgang - something that was done on a whim, she said- she was in the middle of finals week at UF. She didn't expect instant approval, but soon enough, she found herself scrambling to create tags and deliver rings to the owner while studying.
Chalanie Stiebel, 22, and Mudenda's roommate, plays a role in the Alero line by providing feedback and editing pieces. While she isn't interested in pursuing jewelry design, Stiebel said she has gained appreciation for the conceptual and building process it requires.
"I find myself picking up random materials on the ground for the line," Stiebel said. "I would have normally walked by them in the past."
Stiebel tries to push Mudenda's work, but the pair find it hard to keep a constant stock of products while maintaining advertising.
After graduation, Mudenda said she would like to travel and run her own jewelry gallery.
With a knack for finding beauty in the ordinary, Mudenda's future is sure to include a wealth of novel, earthy collections.
For more info on Alero, see Mudenda's portfolio at www.behance.net/alero
