The Forest in Our Blood: a new collection of jewelry by Rhonda Munzinger.
Flash Gallery December 4th – January 25th, 2025
Opening Reception Friday, December 5th, 5 – 7 pm.
Rhonda’s new collection illustrates the unity of humans and trees. Crafted from fine silver with deer bone-carved faces and exquisite gems, it is inspired by the trees of New Mexico
The Forest in Our Blood
Rhonda Munzinger
Trees have always fascinated me. I have a connection, a recognition of them as a lofty life form with its own kind of sentient-adjacent intelligence. When I was a child, they provided shade, beauty, and, as I climbed high in their branches, peace and an expanded view of the world.
When I moved from the West Coast to New Mexico, the trees were so different I became pre-occupied with them. In learning about the trees of New Mexico, I did a deep dive on the relationship between trees and humans. What unites us? Here is a smattering of things I learned.
Trees communicate with each other and even come to each other’s aid with nutrients in times of need through a network of fungi connecting their roots.
Humans and trees share DNA— 20-60%, depending on the tree species. Some trees have more than twice the number of genes as humans, some significantly less.
We share genes for development, conversion of sugars and proteins into energy, and for the repair of DNA.
Eventually, I began to “see” a mingling of humans and trees in my mind’s eye, a common spirit between humans and trees. That is this exhibit. Thanks for listening. I hope it has encouraged you to learn more.
Rhonda Munzinger
Artifact Jewelry Design
