compo-stela
desk
desk
this desk loosely-inspired by clergy desks i referenced for a research project on the pilgrimage to santiago de compostela — one of three significant catholic pilgrimages, following jerusalem and the vatican. in this piece, i approach functionality as the anticipation of particular behaviors, which allows me to more-thoughtfully consider the aesthetic and psychological functionality of wood. from this understanding, i question how foundational design archetypes maintain a manufactured relationship between maker and material, but also reveal valuable cultural lineages to emphasize the communal pedagogy of woodworking. moreover, by using nails to notate my process, i commune with the natural limitations of wood to reject the material abstraction of mass production and explore the slippage between form and material.
white oak, zinc-plated nails, brass hinges, pewter-black patina, osmo oil-wax finish
51” x 27.5” x 33”
Inquire︎︎︎
white oak, zinc-plated nails, brass hinges, pewter-black patina, osmo oil-wax finish
51” x 27.5” x 33”
Inquire︎︎︎
2024
daybed
i took an urban studies class at brown, focused on expressions of tradition and modernity in asian cities. one of my takeaways was the importance of image-making and its associated ideologies in defining external perspectives of the city, but also in how those images impact their represented localities. the forms of this piece derive from isolated perspectives of roman architecture i observed traveling, thinking about the development of historic landscapes and their modern preservations to consider the measurability of the ungovernable, emotional experiences of a given place.
white birch, steel, zinc-plated finishing nails, osmo oil-wax finish, renaissance wax
74” x 21.5” x 11.5”
*textile designed and handmade by my friend abbey foreman.
Inquire︎︎︎
white birch, steel, zinc-plated finishing nails, osmo oil-wax finish, renaissance wax
74” x 21.5” x 11.5”
*textile designed and handmade by my friend abbey foreman.
Inquire︎︎︎
2024
leonila chair
details in the design (visible screws, the rectilinear geometries, and the submission to functionality, the grooves in-between each of the slats intended to collect dust over time) reflect my research into enzo mari’s design philosophy. however, i’m mostly concerned with how these visualizations of processes reflect the materiality. with wood as my chosen and preferred material, i question how the strategies i invoke to work with the material reference my positionality, hybridity, mortality, and desires — this process is personal, emotional, spiritual when convenient, and even unhealthy at times, but i don’t believe i deserve to ‘fuck with’ wood by pursuing a designed relationship to it that fights its natural limitations. it’s scary to think my furniture might outlive me.
white oak, stainless steel hardwood screws, osmo oil-wax finish
25” x 25.5” x 35”
Inquire︎︎︎
white oak, stainless steel hardwood screws, osmo oil-wax finish
25” x 25.5” x 35”
Inquire︎︎︎
2024
lola chair
this entryway chair reflects on the memory of my lola (filipino grandmother). i developed the visual elements of this piece from a series of prepartory drawings that considered the philippine-american home, especially as it concerns the disconnect between the two. moreover, the challenge of craftsmenship in this piece allowed me to question my asian american identity given the absence of my asian family members throughout most of my life.
european beech, poplar, baltic birch plywood, maple veneer, polywhey natural finish
17” x 16.5” x 42”
Inquire︎︎︎
european beech, poplar, baltic birch plywood, maple veneer, polywhey natural finish
17” x 16.5” x 42”
Inquire︎︎︎
2023
the landscape listens
this piece draws from traditional mountainscape compositions and uses collapsed perspective, inspired by japanese ukiyo-e prints from the 18th and 19th centuries. the small pieces resemble details from architectural models that suggest measurable, precise abstractions of space. here, intricate cutouts celebrate playful expressions of imagination, while reflecting on the illusions of modeled (measurable, precise) intimacy.
european beech, maple veneer, rope, earth magnets, polywhey natural finish
17.5” x 15.5” x 2.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
european beech, maple veneer, rope, earth magnets, polywhey natural finish
17.5” x 15.5” x 2.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
2023
plant stand I
part of a greater explortion using face veneer to create lightweight-structured furniture, this piece also considers modern, architectural interventions within historic, natural landscapes: for example, courtyards built around existing trees. how is this process reflected on a domestic scale and how might that reflection provide insight into the time-based processes of restoration? what does it mean to create work (in-part) focused on the philosophy, politics, and aesthetics of intervention, can one clarify its distinctions within a series of work?
european beech and maple veneer
8.5” x 8.5” x 45”
european beech and maple veneer
8.5” x 8.5” x 45”
2024
after the junta
this piece culminates rigorous genealogical, ancestral research; in particular, the history of colonization and philippine diasporic identities embodied in the racial, cultural, socioeconomic dynamics between my mother and father’s families. i question what elements of my process physically manifest abstract, complex ruminations on identity. how does working with wood at varying scales balance planetary and individual expressions of grief?
beech, zinc-plated nails, beeswax finish, colored pencil on paper
10” x 5” x 1.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
beech, zinc-plated nails, beeswax finish, colored pencil on paper
10” x 5” x 1.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
2024
the taveler’s voyeur
my research on the pilgrimage to santiago de compostela (el camino de santiago de compostela) focused on anachronistic documentations of changing landscapes, physical challenges, and cathartic celebrations; from that influence, we considered the amphitheater as an architectural context to metaphorically frame the tensions between individual and collective identification expressed along ‘the camino.’ moreover, the method of construction (being put together without glue) engages concepts of material abstraction and ornamentation, further proposing nails as an alternative process invested in exploring ready, intuitive strategies to approach the limitations of wood.
african mahogany, phosphate-coated drywall nails, beeswax polish, colored pencil, graphite on paper
16.25” x 10.25” x 2”
*made in collaboration with evan goldhagen
Inquire︎︎︎
african mahogany, phosphate-coated drywall nails, beeswax polish, colored pencil, graphite on paper
16.25” x 10.25” x 2”
*made in collaboration with evan goldhagen
Inquire︎︎︎
2024
medita-tion, grain sorting box for bed
this piece suggests satisfaction exists only in the mind, contradicting the meditative sorting process by re-gathering the grains.
mape, beeswax
9.5” x 5.5” x 2.75”
Inquire︎︎︎
mape, beeswax
9.5” x 5.5” x 2.75”
Inquire︎︎︎
2023
snow catcher
this snow catcher is for my family’s home in new jersey — a place we’ve lived for about 5 years, the longest time spent anywhere in my life. i wanted to celebrate life in a (sometimes) snowier climate, but also create a tool — similar to a dreamcatcher — i can use to remember, imagine, and catch snow.
european beech, poplar, beeswax polish
35” x 16” x 2.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
european beech, poplar, beeswax polish
35” x 16” x 2.5”
Inquire︎︎︎
2023
battleship table
reflecting on balance, this table considers an understanding of love against defensive impulse.
ash
30” x 18” x 11.5”
ash
30” x 18” x 11.5”
2023
