JOHNNY NELSON | "Ladies First" 4 FINGER RING, w/ Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lady of Rage, and Roxanne Shante, 2020.

JOHNNY NELSON 

"LADIES FIRST" MT. RUSHMORE RE-IMAGINED WITH QUEEN LATIFAH, MC LYTE, LADY OF RAGE, AND ROXANNE SHANTE, 2020.

Custom hand-made four finger ring in solid 14K gold, signed "JN" on one side, and "Sotheby's" on the other. 

"LADIES FIRST — MT RUSHMORE RE-IMAGINED"

A one-of-a kind ring, custom designed for this sale, depicting some of the greatest female MCs of all time: Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, Lady of Rage, and Roxanne Shanté.

Johnny Nelson was born in England and raised in Brooklyn. His biggest influences include Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, and the iconic neighborhood jewelers that elevated Hip Hop culture in the 80s and 90s.

He founded Johnny Nelson Jewelry in 2017. Each piece is proudly crafted in NYC using various fine metals and stones. Johnny Nelson Jewelry was brought to fruition long before it’s initial inception. Nelson’s transition into jewelry design began in 2014, when he was on tour and decided it was time to look as good as he felt while performing. His solution? Jewelry. The first piece was an attention-grabbing 3-finger ring, made with stone and wire, that he asked his mom to bring to life. It was then Nelson found he had not just a genuine passion for jewelry, but the raw talent and creative vision to match.

In his designs, Nelson draws inspiration from his diverse artistic and cultural experiences that merge punk, Hip Hop, and spirituality. The line heavily focuses on statement pieces that spark conversation amongst consumers. His work has been featured frequently in press, and is popular with a host of celebrities; the custom sculpture portrait buttons and Black power cuff-links he designed for Kerby Jean Raymond (his 8 favorite Hip Hop artists) and Lena Waithe's (8 LGBTQ icons) 2019 Met Gala suits were a tremendous hit. 

REFERENCE:

Leanna Commins. "After a Met Gala Boost, Johnny Nelson's Hip-Hop-Inspired Jewelry Is About to Blow Up": https://fashionista.com/2019/05/johnny-nelson-jewelry 

PROVENANCE:

Courtesy the artist