LIKE A BIRD BEFORE A SNAKE
Art & Activism
The Power of Adornment
The Power of Adornment & Art & Activism: 2ETN STUDIO asked individuals that have been of great inspiration to us to be photographed in a piece of our jewelry that spoke to them & to share their story with us. Below, story 2 out of 19.
May Elawar + The Hooded Falcon Ring:
“Wearing jewelry that expresses culture, lineage, and
tradition allows me not to succumb to the devouring
homogeneity of the global capitalist marketplace. Designs
handed down through generations carry with them stories
that speak of joy and sorrow, resilience and beauty, culture
and wisdom. They keep alive a herstory/history that is in
danger of being eclipsed by dominant narratives. Each bead
and each motif and pattern conveys layers of meaning and
tradition grounding me in the beauty of my lineage.”-May
May Elawar received her PhD in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Women’s Spirituality from CIIS. She holds an MA in International Relations from the American University in Washington, DC, and a BA in Political Science. May teaches in the Transformative Inquiry Department and the School of Undergraduate Studies at CIIS, and is interested in bridging spirituality/religion with social justice and activism. May is Lebanese, and came to the US as an international student. She is particularly interested in exploring alternative and nonwestern philosophical frameworksto address theories of knowledge, identity, gender, colonialism/post-colonialism, and globalization. May’s research and activism has focused greatly on social justice in the Arab and Muslim world, particularly for women. May is active with a number of groups in the Bay Area who are involved in exploring transformative practices for healing gender and race -based violence.