Transhuman Jewelry

2023

4.7'' x 2'' x 1.2''

glass, baking soda, acrylic paint      

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Tranhuman Jewelry imagines a future where the wealthy flaunt their “transhuman” superiority through the shedding of their teeth, while those at the bottom of the social ladder remain tethered to the primitive act of chewing food, trapped in an outdated biological state. Teeth—once a vital organ for survival—have, in this hyper-modern world, become nothing more than irrelevant relics.

In today’s social landscape, teeth have long been seen as a subtle marker of class. A straight, white smile? It’s often assumed you’ve enjoyed a life of good education and privilege. A mouth of crooked, decaying teeth? The assumption is poverty, neglect, and low status. But all of that is about to change. Humanity has officially bid farewell to the age-old process of eating, and entered a new era where daily nutritional supplements sustain life. These serums not only replicate but cover every nutrient that nature’s foods once provided.

Every morning, people wake up and scan their bodies to assess their needs, adjusting their supplement accordingly. The options are abundant, ranging from basic “nutritional supplements” to more advanced “sensory enhancers” and even “anti-aging formulas.” The best part? These supplements don’t need to be ingested at all. A patch on the skin delivers everything the body needs, no chewing required. Teeth, once a vital organ for survival, have become obsolete. By a certain age, they fall out periodically like leaves shedding from a tree—only this time, it’s not the uterine lining but the “dental lining.”

Around age 13, the magical “tooth shedding” begins. Teeth lose their function, their calcium depletes, and their roots soften. By the time someone reaches 21, teeth fall out naturally, much like dead skin, with no pain at all. It’s even become a rite of passage—a bodily rebirth, if you will. Naturally, the stomach and intestines have evolved too, shrinking by about a third and tasked solely with absorbing nutrients from the supplements. The intestines, otherwise irrelevant, now exist only to shuttle these nutrients to the body at record speed. Hunger? That word’s been long forgotten.

But of course, these supplements are not for everyone. The wealthy can afford premium supplements, custom-tailored to optimize their bodies, achieving a state of “eternal vitality.” For the elite, the periodic shedding of teeth has become a point of pride. Each time a tooth falls out, they celebrate with a ritual called “Transformation Day,” viewed as a tech-powered rite of ascension. They even wear necklaces made from their fallen teeth (as seen in the image), a symbol of their “post-human” bodies. It marks the moment their physical being no longer relies on the ancient functions of the body but is sustained by the marvels of modern science.

Meanwhile, those in the lower classes must continue to chew their food. They are left with the struggle of delayed tooth shedding, cast as societal “outliers,” seen as the “un-evolved,” lagging behind in this new world of technological advancement.