Today, in honor of Black History Month, we are featuring a Detroit-based artist who incorporates the influence of North Africa into wearable art. His company is called The Ancient Craft, and he crafts unique pieces for each of his customers.
Virgil Taylor, owner of The Ancient Craft, joined Jason Carr on Live In The D to discuss his work.
Taylor says he came up with the name some years ago and has always been influenced by ideas from North Africa and the Middle East, even as a child. He combines a variety of old techniques in his jewelry and wearable art creations. These methods are similar to those used in thousands of years of forming and casting.
When asked about the logo’s inspiration, he explains that while teaching at YouthVille Detroit, one of his students was an artist, and the two collaborated on a design based on his interpretation of old alchemical symbols for metals.
Taylor creates one-of-a-kind works of art, but he also has a signature series, including his logo. According to him, his signature series is the only collection for which he uses a mold. He says that when he makes pieces for customers, he does not usually replicate them.
You may contact Taylor through The Ancient Craft website if you are interested in the wearable art he creates.
To see the full interview, watch the video above.