MATRIARCH
New York City, 202318” x 20” x 60”
North American White Ash
Charred, Oil and Wax Finish
MATRIARCH began as an introspection of the impact that I, a designer, have had on my environment. How can the objects I create utilize resources in a responsible, compassionate manner.
Hand carved into the monolithic structure of the chair is a stylized recreation of my own personal anatomy, thus placing my “self” in discussion with the material.
The use of North American White Ash — and its contemporary associations with the EAB — locates this chair within a greater context of human expansion, globalization and material consumption.
In contrast, the technique of charring wood is one that has existed for centuries to protect the material from insect invasion. Burning the surface is an act of sacrifice to preserve the longevity of the wood itself.
Throughout the process of weaving these details together, an inverted narrative surfaced: the impact that my environment has had on me as a designer. Again and again, a specific and repeated image of my mother’s compassionate, protective, and regal creativity continued to arise: The Matriarch.