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HE(Hand Embellished) Edition of 10 Cowrie shells, once used as currency across West African societies, carry layered meanings of wealth, spirituality, and cultural continuity within the African diaspora. For centuries, these shells have been worn in braids or locks to represent wealth, prosperity, protection, and connection to the ocean and ancestors. In The Wiz, Miss One, a “mathematical witch,” is the first witch Dorothy encounters, guiding her toward finding the Wiz to get home while operating as a figure of calculation, order, and correction; she refers to the Munchkins as her “Little Digits” and is defined by an obsession with counting and numerical logic rather than traditional goodness. The piece reflects a tension between cultural value and identity, between calculation and care, and the enduring connection between the ocean and ancestors.
HE(Hand Embellished) Edition of 10 Cowrie shells, once used as currency across West African societies, carry layered meanings of wealth, spirituality, and cultural continuity within the African diaspora. For centuries, these shells have been worn in braids or locks to represent wealth, prosperity, protection, and connection to the ocean and ancestors. In The Wiz, Miss One, a “mathematical witch,” is the first witch Dorothy encounters, guiding her toward finding the Wiz to get home while operating as a figure of calculation, order, and correction; she refers to the Munchkins as her “Little Digits” and is defined by an obsession with counting and numerical logic rather than traditional goodness. The piece reflects a tension between cultural value and identity, between calculation and care, and the enduring connection between the ocean and ancestors.