“I saw many elegant, beautiful cameos but only one with the face of a black woman so I started making my own,” says Atlanta-based Dianne Quarles.

The name, Maruva comes from the initials of four generations of creative Black women in Dianne’s family. Her Maruvian Women series honors her great grandmother, a runaway slave who became a successful, independent “modes”.

Each face is customized to give it an original personality. “Black Panther,” was the inspiration for her warrior women. The symbols are from the Ashante tribe of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.

The works are featured in the Roswell Roots Arts Festival, in Roswell, GA for the month of February.