The artist’s sugary-sweet creations often draw from his own memories. His 2026 “Sweet Nostalgia” peppermint swirl necklace, for one, was inspired by a candy shop he used to go to as a kid. “It was called Sweet Factory,” says Williams Jr. “It had all these glass candy jars in it.” In the past, Williams Jr. has also beaded everything from ice cream-themed cuffs to popcorn buckets. “I made a popcorn bucket spilling over last year, because whenever I would go to the movies with my dad, he’d inadvertently spill it before the movie started,” says Williams Jr.
While his food-inspired inspirations are unique to him, Williams Jr.’s embrace of a vibrant, saturated palette is another signature element of his work. Williams Jr. has an obsessive streak for finding antique beads in the rarest of colors, anything from pastel pink to acid yellow. “I scour the internet, and when I’m in a different city, I’ll look for bead stores to see if I can find a different color,” he says. Sometimes, he will even trade bead colors with other fellow artists; His new S’mores-themed necklace, for instance, features brown beads given to him by his mentor, Teri Greeves. “In our culture, we’re always taught to give and share,” he says. “I’ve been eating Smores at home a lot—making them on my stovetop.”
Ken Williams Jr.’s “Deliciousness” cuff bracelet, made of new and vintage glass beads, faceted bugle beads, 24-karat gold electroplated beads, faceted hessonite garnet, pearls, faceted tourmaline, faceted pink Peruvian opal and buckskin.
But Williams Jr. does stray from his delicious-looking aesthetic from time to time, crafting special handmade pieces that serve as historical pictorials. His 2026 “Honoring Our Beautiful Women” bag, for instance, features a portrait of a young Shoshone woman, based on a real-life image he stumbled upon. “She’s from the Wind River Indian Reservation, where I’m from on my mom’s side,” says Williams Jr. “When I see some of these old historical photos, they kind of just grab me. Sometimes it’s like they’re choosing me—they want to be brought back to life.”
