We were finally all seven residents in one place, with Holly gore (the scholar) joining us in nextfab. We had a group and one to one meetings to talk through our works-in-progress, the exhibition title, and everything in between. It was a good chance to take a step back and look at how the residency is unfolding both individually and collectively.
One of the highlights this week was a marquetry demo led by Klara, one of the fellows. She gave us a quick walkthrough of her process—layering, slicing, and composing with veneer—and even some of the NextFab staff joined in to watch. It was fascinating to see the technique broken down into steps, and how much precision and planning it takes to build a marquetry piece.
In the studio, everyone kept pushing their projects forward, and things are starting to take clearer shape. You can now begin to imagine how each piece will live in the final exhibition.
There was also a special moment midweek when Allen hosted a performance at NextFab. He invited participants to share a personal story from their life, and then responded by creating a visual narrative using his hand-cut wooden figures. It was a thoughtful and intimate exchange—bridging storytelling with making in a unique way.
The week wrapped with Open Studio Day, where members of the public were invited in to meet the artists and see our workspaces. We each gave a short 10-minute presentation about our practice, process, and philosophy. It was great to hear directly from each resident and see how differently we all approach the material of wood—technically, conceptually, and emotionally.
