KBM Kreatrix

By Sherella Gibbs

In 1993 a Cheney University student began making and selling clay sculptures that he called “heads.” Soon his expressive, caricature-esque creations gained popularity on campus and he began making custom orders.“That ’s when I first started being an arts salesman,” Amun Miraaj says.This venture was also the spark that ignited his artistic fire.In time, the sculptor took on an interest in wirework and beading, adding jeweler to his bio.Four years later, NouRa, singer and promoter for the Black Lily in London (then based in Philadelphia), introduced Amun to wirework and KBM Kreatrix was born.

KBM Kreatrix is a collective of crafters specializing in jewelry, accessories, clothing and sculpture.After graduating from Cheney University in 1998, Amun continued studying wirework and beading in Atlanta and Washington D.C.While working for a music distribution company in Chicago,he formed his first partnership with Het-Heru, a local artisan who worked with crystals.“ And then I began to take this wire wrapping thing seriously… she kind of rekindled the first taste that I experienced with NouRa,” he says.

Later he formed another partnership in Philadelphia with Ra fik, a local emcee,poet and musician.“I met Amun on the poetry scene while I was [hosting ] South Street Blues,” Ra fik recalls.Amun regarded Ra fik as an artist “who had every bit of creativity in him and just wanted to channel it in different ways.”

Ra fik soon purchased a piece from Amun.“When I wore the jewelry, my energy was tremendous,” he says. “I had a first-hand account of the power of the crystals …what it meant and could mean to other people.” Ra fik took an immediate interest in jewelry-crafting and learned wirework under Amun ’s tutelage.“He showed me some stones and told me the different meanings,I followed his lead and I picked it up very quickly.”

The company moniker is an acronym for three of the Islamic names for Allah.Khaaliq (creator),Bariyy (maker)and Musawir form KBM; Kreatrix is a combination of the words creator and matrix.“ Our creativity is an extension of the Creator, that’s where KBM comes from and it ’s also a dedication not to allow our creativity to be corrupted,” Amun details. He describes making jewelry with crystals as “the ability to create our heaven on Earth.” Each crystal has a speci fic energy that contributes to balance and harmony.He attests that every person on his team has a unique perspective on their artistic creations.“People that come to the KBM family are people who look at art from an emotional and analytical perspective …not just creatively but ingeniously.”

Amun feels KBM ’s jewelry will always have a place in the world.“ As long as people have something extra, they are going to buy something that they like.Our job is to provide something they like and something that has a function. ”Both Amun and Ra fik make jewelry for men and women with cooper, silver and gold wire, incorporating beads, semiprecious stones and crystals.“Every stone has a speci fic energy that it tunes to in order to contribute to a mental, physical, emotional and spiritual balance,” Amun explains.In addition, Ra fik professes the stones he works with have individual personalities.“Usually,I ’ll sit with a stone in my hand to see what it wants to do.Sometimes I ’d have an idea and the stone didn’t want to do the idea, so I figured obviously the stone has something to say too and that became my style.”

Interestingly enough, KBM Kreatrix has no centralized location. Though the network was built on the itinerate journey of Amun, it has managed to enjoy some impressive celebrity clientele. “Most of the people we’ve met have been beautiful customers,” Amun says. Songstresses Jill Scott and Erykah Badu, Neo-soul/ spoken word duo Floetry and Hip Hop emcees Talib Kweli, Common and Andre 3000 have all acquired pieces. They also have retailers in London, New York, Chicago, Atlanta and Boston. They are working on launching a website in the near future.

KBM ’s unique perspective and approach give way to one-of-a-kind creations. In addition to making standards such as bracelets, rings and necklaces, they’ve created hair ornaments and intricate ear cuffs. KBM Kreatrix takes an introspective and spiritual look at jewelry, but ultimately Amun says he hopes his jewelry can help people“ go through challenges to the soundtrack of Miles Davis and feel like,that was hard but I was groovin’.”

Contact Amun Miraaj at (773)368-0708 or Ra fik at 267-973-9352 and treemendustree@aol.com for custom orders and retailers.

Sherella Gibbs, Journalist 267-252-9580

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*Philadelphia Arts Writer magazine www.PhiladelphiaWriters.com

*Writer Blocks www.WriterBlocks.com

*Philly Hip Hop www.PhillyHipHop.com