Demetri Broxton

Demetri Broxton | 2023 | You Won’t Break My Soul | Wool, hair canvas, glass beads, hand cut Cypraea moneta (money cowries), Mauritania arabica (chocolate humpback cowries), Cypraea mauritiana (chocolate humpback cowries), South African reedbuck and blesbok horns, long tailed spindle shells, leather, brass pendants, red coral, tourmaline points, mirror, bone beads, silk and rayon chainette, nylon and cotton thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements. | 59 x 59 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2022 |So Ambitious (I’m on a Mission) | serpent’s head cowrie shells, Janpanese delica beads, beads, redwood, ylang ylang, thread | 48 x 27 x 8 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2022 |So Ambitious (I’m on a Mission) | serpent’s head cowrie shells, Janpanese delica beads, beads, redwood, ylang ylang, thread | 48 x 27 x 8 inches

So Ambitious is a continuation of my explorations of race and gender through the metaphors of boxing and hip hop lyrics. The lyrics, “I’m on a mission, no matter the conditions” are taken from Pharrell’s chorus on Jay-Z’s 2009 track, So Ambitious. The song sends a powerful message to anyone attempting to place limits on another person, especially young people of color by telling them what they can and cannot be in life. These external limitations and biases eventually get placed upon us by ourselves and we must not only fight with the outside world, but also our own self-doubt. The quoted lyrics do not pay attention to limitations; instead, they present a battle cry to push on and succeed. The addition of ylang ylang and other named and unnamed medicinal and spiritual elements serve as a healing agent, simultaneously acknowledging centuries of trauma and struggle while also pushing for positive transformation.

Demetri Broxton | 2022 |So Ambitious (I’m on a Mission) | serpent’s head cowrie shells, Janpanese delica beads, beads, redwood, ylang ylang, thread | 48 x 27 x 8 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2022 |So Ambitious (I’m on a Mission) | serpent’s head cowrie shells, Janpanese delica beads, beads, redwood, ylang ylang, thread | 48 x 27 x 8 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2023 | You Won’t Break My Soul | Wool, hair canvas, glass beads, hand cut Cypraea moneta (money cowries), Mauritania arabica (chocolate humpback cowries), Cypraea mauritiana (chocolate humpback cowries), South African reedbuck and blesbok horns, long tailed spindle shells, leather, brass pendants, red coral, tourmaline points, mirror, bone beads, silk and rayon chainette, nylon and cotton thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements. | 59 x 59 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2023 | You Won’t Break My Soul | Wool, hair canvas, glass beads, hand cut Cypraea moneta (money cowries), Mauritania arabica (chocolate humpback cowries), Cypraea mauritiana (chocolate humpback cowries), South African reedbuck and blesbok horns, long tailed spindle shells, leather, brass pendants, red coral, tourmaline points, mirror, bone beads, silk and rayon chainette, nylon and cotton thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements. | 59 x 59 inches

Demetri Broxton | 2023 | You Won’t Break My Soul | Wool, hair canvas, glass beads, hand cut Cypraea moneta (money cowries), Mauritania arabica (chocolate humpback cowries), Cypraea mauritiana (chocolate humpback cowries), South African reedbuck and blesbok horns, long tailed spindle shells, leather, brass pendants, red coral, tourmaline points, mirror, bone beads, silk and rayon chainette, nylon and cotton thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements. | 59 x 59 inches

You won’t break my soul is an adaptation of a traditional Mande hunter’s shirt reimagined for the urban environment. For the Mande people of West Africa, hunter’s are highly revered and feared individuals who must intimately understand the bush, prey animals, the herbs of the forests, and elements of magic in order to survive and thrive as successful hunters. The shirts that Mande hunters wear are a potent symbol of their skill, power, and deep knowledge of the forest and control over supernatural forces. The objects, amulets, and symbols encoded in a traditional Mande robe tell society everything they need to know about the hunter and their accomplishments. Broxton takes inspiration from the Mande hunter’s robe and combines it with the concept of a boxer’s robe. Boxing robes were introduced by Jack Johnson, one of Broxton’s greatest muses. Intended to keep the wearer’s muscles warm before a match, boxing robes also symbolize the fierceness of a boxer, especially when personalized. Jack Johnson’s first robe was made from wool and Broxton’s custom designed and hand sewn robe follows in this tradition.

Broxton’s robe is covered with a few traditional elements that are enhanced with herbs and other substances from his home medicinal garden. Chainette tassels envelope the robe, suggesting movement should the piece be activated by a human body.  The piece prominently features the lyrics, “You Won’t Break My Soul” from Beyoncé’s breakout 2022 single, “Break My Soul”. Broxton’s robe, overlayed in amulets and other protective talismans serves to guard the wearer from negative forces and people. When activated by a wearer, the robe has a sonic component with brass chimes and the sounds given off when the cowrie shells strike one another.  Body heat also enlivens the herbs hidden throughout the garment and adds an olfactory component.

Demetri Broxton | 2023 | You Won’t Break My Soul | Wool, hair canvas, glass beads, hand cut Cypraea moneta (money cowries), Mauritania arabica (chocolate humpback cowries), Cypraea mauritiana (chocolate humpback cowries), South African reedbuck and blesbok horns, long tailed spindle shells, leather, brass pendants, red coral, tourmaline points, mirror, bone beads, silk and rayon chainette, nylon and cotton thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements. | 59 x 59 inches

Demetri Broxton | Catch a Fire| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast boxing glove, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, rooster coque feathers, guinea fowl feathers, pheasant feathers, brass chain, red howlite points, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire

Demetri Broxton | Catch a Fire| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast boxing glove, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, rooster coque feathers, guinea fowl feathers, pheasant feathers, brass chain, red howlite points, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire

Catch a Fire is inspired by the poem of the same title by Sonia Sanchez. In the poem, Sanchez tells African Americans to find their ancestral fire and pass it on to the next generation. The piece is built on a single boxing glove covered and pierced by the feathers of three birds: rooster coque, guinea fowl, and pheasant. Feathers are a new element in Broxton’s work and their use is inspired by the elaborate headdresses found throughout the continent of Africa where they serve as signifiers of authority, wisdom, and because of the ability of birds to fly between heaven and earth, a connection to higher powers.

Demetri Broxton | Catch a Fire| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast boxing glove, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, rooster coque feathers, guinea fowl feathers, pheasant feathers, brass chain, red howlite points, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire

Catch a Fire is inspired by the poem of the same title by Sonia Sanchez. In the poem, Sanchez tells African Americans to find their ancestral fire and pass it on to the next generation. The piece is built on a single boxing glove covered and pierced by the feathers of three birds: rooster coque, guinea fowl, and pheasant. Feathers are a new element in Broxton’s work and their use is inspired by the elaborate headdresses found throughout the continent of Africa where they serve as signifiers of authority, wisdom, and because of the ability of birds to fly between heaven and earth, a connection to higher powers.

Demetri Broxton | Catch a Fire| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast boxing glove, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, rooster coque feathers, guinea fowl feathers, pheasant feathers, brass chain, red howlite points, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire

Catch a Fire is inspired by the poem of the same title by Sonia Sanchez. In the poem, Sanchez tells African Americans to find their ancestral fire and pass it on to the next generation. The piece is built on a single boxing glove covered and pierced by the feathers of three birds: rooster coque, guinea fowl, and pheasant. Feathers are a new element in Broxton’s work and their use is inspired by the elaborate headdresses found throughout the continent of Africa where they serve as signifiers of authority, wisdom, and because of the ability of birds to fly between heaven and earth, a connection to higher powers.

Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches

Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

• Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches
• Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches | Private Collection

The lyrics from Bombs Over Baghdad come from rapper duo OutKast’s 2000 track B.O.B. Three years later, after the start of the United States’ second war with Iraq, the song became an anthem representing the nation’s failed war in the Middle East. However, the original intent of the song had more to do with life for African Americans living in the ghettos of America. Andre 3000 and Big Boi paint pictures of the complexities of living in the ‘hood’ – a place with well-known institutional problems but also a place with daily joys for those who call it home. The lyrics mirror a common African American phrase, “don’t start no stuff, won’t be no stuff” – a colloquial interpretation of Proverbs 17:28. The huge ‘chocolate’, aka “humpback’ cowrie shells used on this piece render them completely unusable for their original intent to protect both the hands of the boxer and face of the opponent during a boxing match. These shells are only found in the Indo-Pacific region of the world, with the batch used by Broxton specifically originating in the Philippines, where his maternal grandmother was born.

Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton | Bombs Over Baghdad (Don’t Pull the Thang Out) | 2022  | Boxing glove, hand cut Cypraea mauritiana cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, inert rifle bullets, labradorite, cotton, brass wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, metaphysical elements | 48 x 34 x 14 inches

Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

The lyrics on Hold On are taken from the title and chorus of Eddie Kendricks’ 1972 track My People… Hold On. Kendricks intended the song to be about the universality of love, saying in an interview that he isn’t political and prefers to leave those affairs to politicians. However, the song took on a life of its own and quickly became  a powerful soundtrack to the Black Power Movement of the 1970s. Regardless of how one views the core message of the song, universal love for all people and the desire to fight for the rights of one’s people are inextricably linked concepts.

The colors of the beads on this set of gloves is a nod to bead colors that were popular in both West Africa and the Philippines before European colonialism — a nod to Broxton’s mixed African and Filipino ancestry. This is the first set of boxing gloves where Demetri has incorporated a pattern in the background. The gloves feature a chevron or zigzag design found throughout Africa and the Philippines. In Yorubaland, zigzag patterns could refer to the connection between the heavens and earth, and invoke lightning which literally comes from the heavens and often strikes the earth. It is also a potent symbol of Sango, the Orisha of justice and protection. The pattern may also reference the indirect path of life. In the Cordillera region of northern Luzon, Philippines, zigzags are incorporated into woven fabric designs to refer to the high slopes of the mountains and forests which are essential locations for growing rice.

Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Hold on| 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Monetaria caputserpentis (aka serpent’s head) cowrie shells, glass beads, tourmaline points, brass Baule pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements | 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Lost Ones (You Might Win Some) | 2022  |Boxing gloves, hand cut Cypraea arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, blue sodalite, quartz, beachcombed Pacific Ocean gastropod shells, 14k gold wire, redwood, stainless steel chain & hardware, ylang ylang, nylon thread, metaphysical elements| 48 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Lost Ones (You Might Win Some) | 2022  |Boxing gloves, hand cut Cypraea arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, blue sodalite, quartz, beachcombed Pacific Ocean gastropod shells, 14k gold wire, redwood, stainless steel chain & hardware, ylang ylang, nylon thread, metaphysical elements| 48 x 32 x 11 inches

Sometimes one must get what they require by force. At times the path of peace does not get the job done and one must engage in battle. The lyrics are taken from the chorus of Lauryn Hill’s track, Lost Ones, from her debut solo album. In the track she boasts “You might win some, but you just lost one.” Rather than a purely physical fight of fists or other weapons, Lauryn Hill speaks of a spiritual and mental battle for equality and recognition. The use of the heavy Arabica cowrie shells renders the boxing gloves unusable for their original intent as protection for the boxer’s hands and the opponent’s face during a match. These larger shells are not the typical small, mostly white cowrie shells prized throughout the continent of Africa for their spiritual and monetary value. Instead, Broxton incorporates shells found throughout the Indo-Pacific, the region of the oceans from the eastern shores of Africa through the Western Pacific – connecting the origins of his ancestry in Africa and the Philippines. The Pacific Ocean gastropod shells Broxton collected on a trip to the Mendocino coast, further make connections to his birth state of California.

Demetri Broxton | Lost Ones (You Might Win Some) | 2022  |Boxing gloves, hand cut Cypraea arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, blue sodalite, quartz, beachcombed Pacific Ocean gastropod shells, 14k gold wire, redwood, stainless steel chain & hardware, ylang ylang, nylon thread, metaphysical elements| 48 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Lost Ones (You Might Win Some) | 2022  |Boxing gloves, hand cut Cypraea arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, blue sodalite, quartz, beachcombed Pacific Ocean gastropod shells, 14k gold wire, redwood, stainless steel chain & hardware, ylang ylang, nylon thread, metaphysical elements| 48 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Count Me Out | 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Mauritania arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, green quartz, brass Talhakimt pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements| 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Count Me Out | 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Mauritania arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, green quartz, brass Talhakimt pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements| 46 x 32 x 11 inches

The verse from Count Me Out comes from the track by the same title from Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. These lyrics added to a pair of boxing gloves speak to being underestimated, whether in a boxing ring or any other situation in life. Being counted out is the precise moment when a skilled fighter throws the right hook that changes the direction of a match.

Count Me Out is covered in Mauritia arabica, commonly called the Arabian cowrie, which are found throughout the Indo-West Pacific region, particularly from East and South Africa, including Madagascar and through to eastern Polynesia. These shells have not been commonly used as currency like the smaller white shells, because they are not as portable or lightweight. However, their value as a beautiful object with spiritual importance should not be counted out.

Demetri Broxton | Count Me Out | 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Mauritania arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, green quartz, brass Talhakimt pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements| 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Count Me Out | 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Mauritania arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, green quartz, brass Talhakimt pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements| 46 x 32 x 11 inches

Demetri Broxton | Count Me Out | 2023  | Boxing gloves, hand cut Mauritania arabica cowrie shells, glass beads, red coral, green quartz, brass Talhakimt pendants, copper wire, shredded denim, stainless steel chain & hardware, nylon thread, dried herbs, metaphysical elements| 46 x 32 x 11 inches

The verse from Count Me Out comes from the track by the same title from Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 album, Mr. Morale and the Big Steppers. These lyrics added to a pair of boxing gloves speak to being underestimated, whether in a boxing ring or any other situation in life. Being counted out is the precise moment when a skilled fighter throws the right hook that changes the direction of a match.

Count Me Out is covered in Mauritia arabica, commonly called the Arabian cowrie, which are found throughout the Indo-West Pacific region, particularly from East and South Africa, including Madagascar and through to eastern Polynesia. These shells have not been commonly used as currency like the smaller white shells, because they are not as portable or lightweight. However, their value as a beautiful object with spiritual importance should not be counted out.

Demetri Broxton | Mojo Hand | 2021  | Everlast boxing gloves, glass pearls, 19th century white heart beads, Czech seed beads & tube beads, money cowrie shells, shredded denim, nylon thread, steel wire, felt, High John the Conqueror powder, brass bell, red clay, herbs | 50 x 30 x 7 inches

Mojo Hand takes its name from the 1962 album by Blues legend, Lightnin’ Hopkins. A Mojo hand comes from the Southern Hoodoo tradition and is an amulet consisting of a felt bag (usually red) filled with magical substances. Mojo has direct roots in West Africa and the tradition was brought to the Americas by enslaved people brought during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Mojo hands are used to drive away evil spirits, keep good luck in the household, manipulate a fortune, and lure or persuade lovers.

In this piece, I made the hand a bit more literal than the traditional concept of a hand. The general form is inspired by an 18th century Sango priest’s tunic in the collection of Yale Art Museum. The tunic is filled with holes from decades of use and has a section of cowrie shells woven in the same devil’s backbone pattern I wove around the outer edges. The piece brings together several off-loom bead weaving techniques and is entirely held together with steel wire.

Demetri Broxton | Mojo Hand | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, glass pearls, 19^th century white heart beads, Czech seed beads & tube beads, money cowrie shells, shredded denim, nylon thread, steel wire, felt, High John the Conqueror powder, , brass bell, red clay, herbs

Mojo Hand takes its name from the 1962 album by Blues legend, Lightnin’ Hopkins. A Mojo hand comes from the Southern Hoodoo tradition and is an amulet consisting of a felt bag (usually red) filled with magical substances. Mojo has direct roots in West Africa and the tradition was brought to the Americas by enslaved people brought during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Mojo hands are used to drive away evil spirits, keep good luck in the household, manipulate a fortune, and lure or persuade lovers.

In this piece, I made the hand a bit more literal than the traditional concept of a hand. The general form is inspired by an 18^th century Sango priest’s tunic in the collection of Yale Art Museum. The tunic is filled with holes from decades of use and has a section of cowrie shells woven in the same devil’s backbone pattern I wove around the outer edges. The piece brings together several off-loom bead weaving techniques and is entirely held together with steel wire.

Demetri Broxton | Mojo Hand | 2021  | Everlast boxing gloves, glass pearls, 19th century white heart beads, Czech seed beads & tube beads, money cowrie shells, shredded denim, nylon thread, steel wire, felt, High John the Conqueror powder, brass bell, red clay, herbs | 50 x 30 x 7 inches

Demetri Broxton | Mojo Hand | 2021  | Everlast boxing gloves, glass pearls, 19th century white heart beads, Czech seed beads & tube beads, money cowrie shells, shredded denim, nylon thread, steel wire, felt, High John the Conqueror powder, brass bell, red clay, herbs | 50 x 30 x 7 inches

Demetri Broxton | America’s Reflections of Me | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches | Everlast boxing gloves, steel nails, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, mirrors, stainless steel chain and hardware  | Private Collection

Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 track XXX., America’s Reflections of Me is a pair of Everlast boxing gloves pierced by nearly 20 lbs of common steel nails. The act of pounding nails partially into a wooden sculpture has roots in the Nkisi Nkondi power figures of the Kongo peoples of Central West Africa. A traditional nkisi has the power to both contain or release spiritual forces which can have both positive and negative consequences on the community. The nails pounded into the wood represent a contractual oath between two parties but can also serve to avenge those who have been denied justice. By combining Lamar’s lyrics with the symbolism of the nkinsi nkondi, America’s Reflections of Me seeks to address America’s broken promise of equality and liberty for all, while the mirrors reflect the viewer’s own image, reminding us that we all play a role in shaping this nation.

Demetri Broxton | America’s Reflections of Me | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches | Everlast boxing gloves, steel nails, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, mirrors, stainless steel chain and hardware | Private Collection

Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 track XXX., America’s Reflections of Me is a pair of Everlast boxing gloves pierced by nearly 20 lbs of common steel nails. The act of pounding nails partially into a wooden sculpture has roots in the Nkisi Nkondi power figures of the Kongo peoples of Central West Africa. A traditional nkisi has the power to both contain or release spiritual forces which can have both positive and negative consequences on the community. The nails pounded into the wood represent a contractual oath between two parties but can also serve to avenge those who have been denied justice. By combining Lamar’s lyrics with the symbolism of the nkinsi nkondi, America’s Reflections of Me seeks to address America’s broken promise of equality and liberty for all, while the mirrors reflect the viewer’s own image, reminding us that we all play a role in shaping this nation.

Demetri Broxton | America’s Reflections of Me | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches | Everlast boxing gloves, steel nails, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, mirrors, stainless steel chain and hardware | Private Collection

Inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 track XXX., America’s Reflections of Me is a pair of Everlast boxing gloves pierced by nearly 20 lbs of common steel nails. The act of pounding nails partially into a wooden sculpture has roots in the Nkisi Nkondi power figures of the Kongo peoples of Central West Africa. A traditional nkisi has the power to both contain or release spiritual forces which can have both positive and negative consequences on the community. The nails pounded into the wood represent a contractual oath between two parties but can also serve to avenge those who have been denied justice. By combining Lamar’s lyrics with the symbolism of the nkinsi nkondi, America’s Reflections of Me seeks to address America’s broken promise of equality and liberty for all, while the mirrors reflect the viewer’s own image, reminding us that we all play a role in shaping this nation.

Demetri Broxton | Empathy Be the Reason| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, money cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, High John the Conqueror powder, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, raw prehnite, brass and copper rifle bullets (inert), quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

The quote on this set of boxing gloves comes from Rapsody’s 2019 track, Nina. Poet Reyna Biddy guest stars for the outro and delivers a powerful tribute to the struggle of Black womanhood. A line from Biddy’s poem appears on the boxing gloves and serves as both an expression of compassion as well as a quiet warning. The word ‘standing’ suggests that the speaker can deliver a knockout punch to the recipient of the message but is holding herself back due to the desire to be empathetic. The chain is covered in raw prehnite crystals, the stone of unconditional love and one that heals the healer. The chain also has inert rifle bullets to suggest both the speaker’s potential to enact violence as well as the violence which has been inflicted upon the speaker.

Demetri Broxton | Empathy Be the Reason| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, money cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, High John the Conqueror powder, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, raw prehnite, brass and copper rifle bullets (inert), quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

The quote on this set of boxing gloves comes from Rapsody’s 2019 track, Nina. Poet Reyna Biddy guest stars for the outro and delivers a powerful tribute to the struggle of Black womanhood. A line from Biddy’s poem appears on the boxing gloves and serves as both an expression of compassion as well as a quiet warning. The word ‘standing’ suggests that the speaker can deliver a knockout punch to the recipient of the message but is holding herself back due to the desire to be empathetic. The chain is covered in raw prehnite crystals, the stone of unconditional love and one that heals the healer. The chain also has inert rifle bullets to suggest both the speaker’s potential to enact violence as well as the violence which has been inflicted upon the speaker.

Demetri Broxton | Empathy Be the Reason| 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, money cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, cherry wood, High John the Conqueror powder, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, raw prehnite, brass and copper rifle bullets (inert), quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

The quote on this set of boxing gloves comes from Rapsody’s 2019 track, Nina. Poet Reyna Biddy guest stars for the outro and delivers a powerful tribute to the struggle of Black womanhood. A line from Biddy’s poem appears on the boxing gloves and serves as both an expression of compassion as well as a quiet warning. The word ‘standing’ suggests that the speaker can deliver a knockout punch to the recipient of the message but is holding herself back due to the desire to be empathetic. The chain is covered in raw prehnite crystals, the stone of unconditional love and one that heals the healer. The chain also has inert rifle bullets to suggest both the speaker’s potential to enact violence as well as the violence which has been inflicted upon the speaker.

Demetri Broxton | [Fight] The Power II | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast speed bag, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, money cowrie shells, denim, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, steel chain and hardware, High John the Conqueror root, red bamboo coral, mirror, aluminum chain, brass wire | Private Collection

This is the second rendition of [Fight] The Power inspired by Public Enemy’s 1989 revolutionary anthem. The word ‘fight’ is purposely omitted with the speed bag standing in place of the word. Speed bags, like all punching bags are the target of intense punches, but they also swing back. By encrusting the speed bag with money cowrie shells, the bag takes on the form of an ile ori – Yoruba house of the head shrines which are a demonstration of the owners wealth and social status, while also serving as a container for smaller shrines and prayers to sustain the power embodied in the owner’s head. In this way, the speed bag no longer functions for its original purpose, but instead serves as a talisman of protection. The aluminum chains contain red coral, another major signifier of prestige and power for the cultures of Nigeria.

Demetri Broxton | [Fight] The Power II | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast speed bag, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, money cowrie shells, denim, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, steel chain and hardware, High John the Conqueror root, red bamboo coral, mirror, aluminum chain, brass wire | Private Collection

This is the second rendition of [Fight] The Power inspired by Public Enemy’s 1989 revolutionary anthem. The word ‘fight’ is purposely omitted with the speed bag standing in place of the word. Speed bags, like all punching bags are the target of intense punches, but they also swing back. By encrusting the speed bag with money cowrie shells, the bag takes on the form of an ile ori – Yoruba house of the head shrines which are a demonstration of the owners wealth and social status, while also serving as a container for smaller shrines and prayers to sustain the power embodied in the owner’s head. In this way, the speed bag no longer functions for its original purpose, but instead serves as a talisman of protection. The aluminum chains contain red coral, another major signifier of prestige and power for the cultures of Nigeria.

Demetri Broxton | [Fight] The Power II | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast speed bag, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, money cowrie shells, denim, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, steel chain and hardware, High John the Conqueror root, red bamboo coral, mirror, aluminum chain, brass wire | Private Collection

This is the second rendition of [Fight] The Power inspired by Public Enemy’s 1989 revolutionary anthem. The word ‘fight’ is purposely omitted with the speed bag standing in place of the word. Speed bags, like all punching bags are the target of intense punches, but they also swing back. By encrusting the speed bag with money cowrie shells, the bag takes on the form of an ile ori – Yoruba house of the head shrines which are a demonstration of the owners wealth and social status, while also serving as a container for smaller shrines and prayers to sustain the power embodied in the owner’s head. In this way, the speed bag no longer functions for its original purpose, but instead serves as a talisman of protection. The aluminum chains contain red coral, another major signifier of prestige and power for the cultures of Nigeria.

Demetri Broxton | The Life I Earned | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head & arabica cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, red howlite points, raw labradorite & prehnite, brass wire | Private Collection

In The Life I Earned, Broxton pulls a quote from female hip-hip artist Rapsody’s 2019 track, Cleo. In the track, Rapsody speaks about the challenges of being a female hip-hop artist, a distinctly male dominated industry. Her challenges are further exacerbated by the intersectionality of her identity as a Black woman. In this piece, Broxton combines serpent’s head cowries with arabica cowrie shells which are much larger and heavier than more commonly used cowries. The size and weight of these larger shells stands in as a metaphor for the struggle and added weight projected onto Black women. To release the burdens, Broxton added raw chunks of labradorite stones to the chain. Labradorite is a mystical and healing stone that brings courage and mental clarity to those in its presence.

Demetri Broxton | The Life I Earned | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head & arabica cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, red howlite points, raw labradorite & prehnite, brass wire | Private Collection

In The Life I Earned, Broxton pulls a quote from female hip-hip artist Rapsody’s 2019 track, Cleo. In the track, Rapsody speaks about the challenges of being a female hip-hop artist, a distinctly male dominated industry. Her challenges are further exacerbated by the intersectionality of her identity as a Black woman. In this piece, Broxton combines serpent’s head cowries with arabica cowrie shells which are much larger and heavier than more commonly used cowries. The size and weight of these larger shells stands in as a metaphor for the struggle and added weight projected onto Black women. To release the burdens, Broxton added raw chunks of labradorite stones to the chain. Labradorite is a mystical and healing stone that brings courage and mental clarity to those in its presence.

Demetri Broxton | The Life I Earned | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head & arabica cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, red howlite points, raw labradorite & prehnite, brass wire

In The Life I Earned, Broxton pulls a quote from female hip-hip artist Rapsody’s 2019 track, Cleo. In the track, Rapsody speaks about the challenges of being a female hip-hop artist, a distinctly male dominated industry. Her challenges are further exacerbated by the intersectionality of her identity as a Black woman. In this piece, Broxton combines serpent’s head cowries with arabica cowrie shells which are much larger and heavier than more commonly used cowries. The size and weight of these larger shells stands in as a metaphor for the struggle and added weight projected onto Black women. To release the burdens, Broxton added raw chunks of labradorite stones to the chain. Labradorite is a mystical and healing stone that brings courage and mental clarity to those in its presence.

Demetri Broxton | Worst Come to Worst | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

This work is inspired by the most popular track by the 90s era underground hip-hop group Dilated Peoples. The piece expands upon several key ideas central to Broxton’s body of work and the critical role cowrie shells played in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Traditionally, enslaved Africans were traded for money cowrie shells (cypraea moneta) but Broxton swapped those out for serpent’s head cowries (monetaria caputserpensis). This brown form of cowrie is found from the Red Sea down through the West Pacific and notably in the Philippines where Broxton’s maternal grandmother was born. The brown of the serpent’s head cowries reflects the color of Black skin and provides a visual connection to the human bodies exchanged for shells.

Demetri Broxton | Worst Come to Worst | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

This work is inspired by the most popular track by the 90s era underground hip-hop group Dilated Peoples. The piece expands upon several key ideas central to Broxton’s body of work and the critical role cowrie shells played in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Traditionally, enslaved Africans were traded for money cowrie shells (cypraea moneta) but Broxton swapped those out for serpent’s head cowries (monetaria caputserpensis). This brown form of cowrie is found from the Red Sea down through the West Pacific and notably in the Philippines where Broxton’s maternal grandmother was born. The brown of the serpent’s head cowries reflects the color of Black skin and provides a visual connection to the human bodies exchanged for shells.

Demetri Broxton | Worst Come to Worst | 2021 | 46 x 27 x 8 inches |Everlast boxing gloves, serpent’s head cowrie shells, Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, ylang ylang, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain, steel hardware, red bamboo coral, quartz & tourmaline points, brass wire | Private Collection

This work is inspired by the most popular track by the 90s era underground hip-hop group Dilated Peoples. The piece expands upon several key ideas central to Broxton’s body of work and the critical role cowrie shells played in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Traditionally, enslaved Africans were traded for money cowrie shells (cypraea moneta) but Broxton swapped those out for serpent’s head cowries (monetaria caputserpensis). This brown form of cowrie is found from the Red Sea down through the West Pacific and notably in the Philippines where Broxton’s maternal grandmother was born. The brown of the serpent’s head cowries reflects the color of Black skin and provides a visual connection to the human bodies exchanged for shells.

Untitled Art San Francisco 2020

Collection of the Monterey Museum

DEMETRI BROXTON | Worth the Weight | 2019-20 | Everlast gloves, cowrie shells, 24K gold Japanese delica beads, Czech seed beads, redwood, frankincense, cotton & nylon thread, brass nails, mirrors, stainless steel chain and hardware | Collection of the Monterey Museum

Inspired by the opening track of Jidenna’s 85 to Africa and Saidiya Hartman’s Lose Your Mother, Worth the Weight brings together several key ideas central to Broxton’s body of work. Cowrie shells were one of the key forms of currency used to purchase enslaved Africans during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. According to Hartman’s research, a strong male could be purchased for approximately 1 pound of cowrie shells for every 13 pound of the man’s body weight. Worth the Weight brings together the history of boxing which has been heavily tied into concepts of race and racial superiority ever since Jack Johnson became the first Black heavyweight champion of the world in 1908. The boxing gloves are embellished with cowrie shells and cascade down to a larger pile of 17 pounds of cowrie shells — corresponding to the purchase amount for the average weight of modern heavyweight boxers.

DEMETRI BROXTON / Save Me, Joe Louis / 2019-20 / Everlast boxing gloves, redwood, cowrie shells, Japanese and Czech seed beads, cotton, silver wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, mirrors | Collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The power of boxing in the African American community during the Jim Crow era is central to Save Me, Joe Louis. In the 1930s, a Black inmate on death row in a Southern state is asphyxiated in a gas chamber. As he breathes the fatal fumes, and as observers watch from behind a thick pane of glass, he cries out: “Save me, Joe Louis! Save me, Joe Louis!” The story has been told over and over again, usually to demonstrate Joe Louis’ nearly god-like status for Black Americans in the pre-World War II era. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is most famous for retelling this story. Save Me, Joe Louis intends to ask the question of how much progress America has made since the 1930s? Do we still need a superhero?

Embellished with cowrie shells, beads, and mirrors, the piece becomes a totem for those who still need a great Black hope.

DEMETRI BROXTON | Save Me, Joe Louis | 2019-20 | Everlast boxing gloves, redwood, cowrie shells, Japanese and Czech seed beads, cotton, silver wire, stainless steel chain & hardware, frankincense, nylon thread, mirrors | Collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

The power of boxing in the African American community during the Jim Crow era is central to Save Me, Joe Louis. In the 1930s, a Black inmate on death row in a Southern state is asphyxiated in a gas chamber. As he breathes the fatal fumes, and as observers watch from behind a thick pane of glass, he cries out: “Save me, Joe Louis! Save me, Joe Louis!” The story has been told over and over again, usually to demonstrate Joe Louis’ nearly god-like status for Black Americans in the pre-World War II era. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is most famous for retelling this story. Save Me, Joe Louis intends to ask the question of how much progress America has made since the 1930s? Do we still need a superhero?

Embellished with cowrie shells, beads, and mirrors, the piece becomes a totem for those who still need a great Black hope.

Demetri Broxton | Apollo Creed As Muhummad Ali | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, Found American Flag | Promised Museum Collection

Demetri Broxton | Apollo Creed As Muhummad Ali | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, Found American Flag | Private Collection; Promised Museum Collection

Demetri Broxton | DNA | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, Quartz Points, Cotton, Frankincense, Myrrh, 14K Gold-plated wire | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton / DNA detail/ 2019 / Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, Quartz Points, Cotton, Frankincense, Myrrh, 14K Gold-plated wire |  Private Collection

Demetri Broxton / DNA detail/ 2019 / Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, Quartz Points, Cotton, Frankincense, Myrrh, 14K Gold-plated wire | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton | I Was Born to FLEX | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, 7.62 caliber brass rifle bullets (inert), leather, cotton, 14 K gold-plated wire | Private Collection

“I Was Born to Flex is inspired by the track, Money by female hip-hop artist, Cardi B. Flex is an urban slang term meaning “to show off” or brag. The term is most commonly used when someone shows off their wealth with gold, diamonds, money, and other expensive items; however, it can also refer to showing off one’s toned or muscular body. The piece continues my exploration of luxury items used as currency in the Transatlantic Slave Trade, such as gold, glass beads, cowrie shells, guns and ammunition.”

“In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, cowrie shells, most specifically, became the currency of West Africa when Europeans traded them for enslaved Africans. During this period, prestige became the most important means of displaying power in West African societies, so items of value were traded in exchange for human bodies. In this way, prestige items acted as blood money. West African items held in collections of some of the most important museums of the world are covered with these beautiful items that have now been rendered worthless as currency.”

“By bringing materials together that once served as important displays of power and prestige and blending them with boxing and contemporary hip hop lyrics, I seek to bring the past forward to the present. Hip hop, is a musical form born in the ghetto by descendants of the Transatlantic Slave Trade — those who were traded for the same materials adorning my art piece. Artists in this genre are well-known for bragging about their stacks of cash but only very few are actually wealthy. The hope of becoming wealthy and transcending the confines of the hood serves as powerful motivation for young people of color. In this way, I Was Born to Flex is born out the hope that all those who were raised with very little financial means dream of, to live the American Dream and live the high life.”

Demetri Broxton | I Was Born to FLEX | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, 7.62 caliber brass rifle bullets (inert), leather, cotton, 14 K gold-plated wire | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton | I Was Born to FLEX | 2019 | Everlast gloves, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, 7.62 caliber brass rifle bullets (inert), leather, cotton, 14 K gold-plated wire | Private Collection

Demetri Broxton | [Fight] The Power I | 2019 | 46 x 27 x 20 inches |Everlast speed bag, 19^th century French seed beads, Czech seed beads, money cowrie shells, cotton, cotton & nylon thread, brass chain and hardware, brass and copper inert rifle bullets, leather, High John the Conqueror root, antique Swarovski crystals, red bamboo coral, mirror, brass wire, leather cord, red clay, herbs | Private Collection

[Fight] The Power, I is inspired by Public Enemy’s 1989 revolutionary anthem. The word ‘fight’ is purposely omitted with the speed bag standing in place of the word. Speed bags, like all punching bags are the target of intense punches, but they also swing back. By encrusting the speed bag with money cowrie shells, the bag takes on the form of an ile ori – Yoruba house of the head shrines which are a demonstration of the owner’s wealth and social status, while also serving as a container for smaller shrines and prayers to sustain the power embodied in the owner’s head. In this way, the speed bag no longer functions for its original purpose, but instead serves as a talisman of protection. The bullets, red coral, and mojo hands – leather pouches filled with herbs and clay – are signifiers of prestige, power, and protection.

Demetri Broxton | [Fight] the Power I | 2019 |Speed punching bag, Cowrie shells, Thread, Japanese and Czech Seed Beads, Chain, Herbs & Essential Oils, High John the Conqueror powder, Mirrors, 7.62 caliber brass rifle bullets (inert), leather brass, coral, cotton, 14 K gold-plated wire | Private Collection

[Fight] The Power, I is inspired by Public Enemy’s 1989 revolutionary anthem. The word ‘fight’ is purposely omitted with the speed bag standing in place of the word. Speed bags, like all punching bags are the target of intense punches, but they also swing back. By encrusting the speed bag with money cowrie shells, the bag takes on the form of an ile ori – Yoruba house of the head shrines which are a demonstration of the owner’s wealth and social status, while also serving as a container for smaller shrines and prayers to sustain the power embodied in the owner’s head. In this way, the speed bag no longer functions for its original purpose, but instead serves as a talisman of protection. The bullets, red coral, and mojo hands – leather pouches filled with herbs and clay – are signifiers of prestige, power, and protection.