Abstract
This study critically examines how multimodal contemporary art jewellery may challenge conventional notions of wearability and representation, particularly in relation to Black women's identities. Through a qualitative research framework, and by situating art jewellery within frameworks of African and intersectional feminist and postcolonial discourse, the study emphasises jewellery's transformative socio-political potential in articulating complex lived experiences. The study advocates for alternative modes of narrative, representation and visibility for Black women that reclaim agency and challenge established norms. Works by South African art jewellers Khanya Mthethwa and Marlene de Beer as well as an original collection of art jewellery produced by the study’s author, Lerato Maisela, are analysed to develop this proposition.