Aziza Hand Crafted
“What inspires my work,” begins Aziza Nicole, founder and jewelry designer of Aziza Handcrafted, “...is me.” A jewelry line “fluid for men and women,” Aziza’s collections are characterized by bold, minimalistic, genderless statement pieces that are informed by her painstaking metalsmithing. “I’m an androgynous woman. I love style. I love menswear. And I love women that can do both.”
Aziza, 28, is originally from PG County, Maryland, and based in Brooklyn. A well-rounded artist who practices sculpture, painting and photography, she fell into jewelry design and handcrafting a few years ago after spotting a flyer for a workshop. “I make jewelry that is fitting for Black people,” Aziza says of her influences, which also include Egyptian mythology and royalty. “I feel like we’re all gods. I want to feel like a queen when I’m wearing my pieces. And I want my fellas to feel like kings.”
Photo: Aziza Handcrafted
Aziza works from her in-home East New York studio, not only designing but handcrafting her pieces, from cutting metal to sanding and polishing finished work. “I’m sitting there with torches. I have to know my gas leverage or I’ll blow up the whole building,” she says. “I need to know the oxidation of different metals. I need to know the pH. It’s a very hands-on process.”
“Every artist has their go-to, and this is mine. When I found jewelry, I was like, ‘This is your happiness.”
You can find Aziza Handcrafted pieces on AzizaHandcrafted.com, and at Marché Rue Dix in Crown Heights and Williamsburg’s Paintbucket Nails. “The retail stores that I’m in believe in my work just as much as I do,” says Aziza. “Every artist has their go-to, and this is mine. When I found jewelry, I was like, ‘This is your happiness.’”
