Thoa DiChiara is an American child of #Vietnamese parents – and both aspects of her identity are reflected in thoajewelry. Though the RIC grad student was born in America and grew up heavily influenced by American culture, her parents spoke only Vietnamese. Thoa struggled with her identity and understanding her parents’ #culture. Through her #jewelry ry she is preserving that culture – sometimes literally – exploring her identity. She expresses this in pieces like the three-part #dragon ring shown in pics 1 & 2. (The dragon is sacred in Vietnam.) Or the #bracelet & #necklace (pics 3 & 4) that combine depictions of #buddha with molds of her own fingertips. For her #graduatethesis she is designing a series of head and shoulder pieces that will incorporate pieces of Vietnamese food that are dehydrated and plated in metal (pics 5 & 6). “I think immersing myself in my culture will help me with the issue if identity,” she says. “If I can understand my roots, then maybe I’ll better understand...