Cherokee Silversmith Kassie Kussman
NATIVE AMERICAN ARTIST + SILVERSMITH
KASSIE KUSSMAN: IN HER WORDS
I’ve always been an artistic person. Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, I struggled academically but excelled in art. I graduated high school and went on to earn a degree in graphic design. Soon after, I worked as an Art Director for several years until I had my daughter.
It’s important to me to teach her about our indigenous heritage. Because our ancestors were forced to assimilate into colonial society and were raised in a city... so far removed from our Cherokee community, my family had little cultural knowledge to pass on to me.
I learned the traditional art of silversmithing as a way to reconnect with my culture. I strive to create heirloom-quality pieces that my daughter will be proud to pass on to her children. Through silversmithing I have been able to learn about where I come from and have been able to express myself as an indigenous woman in ways I’ve never been able to before. In many of my pieces, you will find traditional Cherokee designs, like woven basket patterns and other culturally important symbols.
My hope in sharing my work and my story is to let people know what it means to be Native American today.
Ginew is honored to have Kassie Kussman share her Mean Right Hook creations with our community. Take a look at her hand-crafted copper bracelets and cuffs and t-shirt design inspired by the weaves of baskets in her culture. You can find more of her creations at Mean Right Hook.
WEAR WITH SPIRIT!
