Paper Money Jewelry

In her China series, Tzu-Ju Chen takes paper money, originally used as an Asian ceremonial offering of currency for the dead, and turns it into wearable art. "My pieces are complete objects on their own but are enhanced when they are worn. They integrate with the wearer by reflecting and shadowing a person's body and movements." I love the striking combination of colors of this LOTUS NECKLACE and the beautiful patterns that Chen created using paper money, Kingfisher bird feather inlay, coral, and turquoise. Chen studied traditional Chinese jewelry making techniques, focusing on the Kingfisher bird feather inlay, as part of a Fulbright Fellowship in 2006 and 2007. See more work from her China Series at Tzu-Ju.