Tonii reimagines artifacts from the past as objects from the future.

Amulets are an ancient technology, imbued with magical powers and are symbols of aid and protection. These amulets incorporate augmented reality extensions, giving them their own powers of protection. One of the goals of the project is to help people see their agency and their own power through these Augmented reality depictions of their traits.

Tonii began with a specific question: “what does it mean to use sister as a verb?” The teachings of Toni Cade Bambara describes “sister” not just as an identity but as an action. This is a powerful concept. It implies that different relationships regardless of gender and background are premises for “sister”ing.I've experienced racial and gender trauma in my various professional journeys, and realized that what helped me survive were the many acts of "sister"ing I experienced. 

To honor the multitude of relationships, Tonii enacts a ritual of co-creation. This can be a one-to-one experience, such as the “Tonii: Empowering each other” series, where amulets are created to be gifted, or a group experience, where we work towards creating an amulet that represents shared values - “Tonii: Embodying Responsibility”. 

Traits and elements within the stories then inform the design of amulets and augmentations. The amulets can be worn, or displayed as sculptural objects.