THE INITIATE COLLECTION
A hand-made ritual based collection.
Kiota means “bird’s nest” in Swahili. Designed by Nawa Origins founder Selma Utonih, the ring takes its starting point from the structure of African birds’ nests and the way they are built: gradually, layer upon layer, with no two ever exactly the same.
Each Kiota ring is formed by hand using the same idea, building the metal up rather than starting from a perfectly uniform shape. The result is a ring that feels structured but irregular, with small differences from piece to piece.
Kiota has since become a recurring form within Nawa Origins and one of the foundations of Selma’s evolving design language.
KIOTA
Marked is inspired by scarification practices found across African cultures, including those of the Oshiwambo peoples of northern Namibia and my own Kwambi lineage on my father’s side.
Among several Oshiwambo tribes, scarification historically served different purposes: to signify belonging and identity, to mark stages of life, and in some cases, to support physical well-being through believed medicinal or protective functions. These markings were and are permanent records carried on the body.
I do not carry these scars myself. My parents chose not to continue the practice with their children as traditions evolved over time. This ring exists as an alternative form of preservation: a way of holding memory, lineage, and initiation through material rather than skin.
Formed in fine silver, the surface bears deliberate vertical incisions. Each mark is uneven, singular, and irreversible, echoing the gravity of ancestral marking rites. The band is substantial and sculptural.
Marked is an homage to scarification as initiation. A reminder that what is no longer carried on the body can still be held, remembered, and honored through other permanent forms.
Each ring is individually hand-formed and fired, resulting in subtle variations that make every piece unique.
MARKED
Marked is an ode to my lineage and using other mediums to express identity.
Inspired by scarification traditions across African cultures, including those of the Oshiwambo peoples of northern Namibia and founder Selma Utonih’s own Kwambi lineage, the ring reimagines ancestral marking through material rather than skin.
Hand-formed in fine silver, its surface is cut with deliberate, irregular incisions. Each Marked ring is singular: a permanent object carrying memory, identity and heritage forward.
Hand-formed in fine silver, its surface is cut with deliberate, irregular incisions, making each ring subtly different from the next.
