Studio Letter No. 002
What Received My Time This Week
Each week in the studio feels like a negotiation, especially surrounding what receives my time. So…here’s what received my time this week!
This week I’ve tried to balance my time more intentionally by doing just as many things that I want to do, as the things that I have to do. It’s allowed me to have more “playtime” in the studio this week, which was incredibly generative for me. So here’s what I made:
A Dreaming Hour, Upcoming Exhibition
Right now, I am in the final stages of finishing up work for my upcoming exhibition at Cranbrook Art Museum. I’m excited to be working on an entirely new body of work, titled A Dreaming Hour. Please visit the link if you’d like to learn more about the show!
At the moment, the show will include 7 new works, including the first self-portrait I’ve taken in over 4 years. For those who have known me long enough; you might still know me as a photographer and might recall some of my previous self-portraits. I’m excited to be working more directly with the camera as of late, and I’m excited to incorporate the image more concretely in this upcoming installation.
I’ve been working on documenting more of the process of making my works, as there are a lot of misconceptions around the scale, materials, and even the depth of the work; so stay tuned for more in depth process images/videos.
Upcoming Capsule; TBA Soon
Aside from the upcoming show, I’ve been enjoying making smaller, accessible, and functional objects and wearables. I’m excited to share more about that here on Studio Bri, but for now, I’m simply testing out different materials/patterns/etc.
I try to reuse as much studio “waste” as I possibly can, as the textile industry is one of the largest producers of global waste. It’s quite the juxtaposition and it’s a reality that I’m still contending with as I think about most practice in terms of how I extend care to the Earth. I don’t have the answer yet in all honesty, but I do try to reuse as much as I can as a result and this week I focused on reusing wood offcuts.
For my upcoming show, I’ve been designing frames for the work and the remaining offcuts of wood have been sitting around waiting for a use. I decided to test out some line drawings with the miter saw and made woodblocks for printing. I ended up testing out the texture of the woodblock prints on some canvas totes that I had in the studio, and also tested dyeing the canvas with coffee. It was a fun experiment that didn’t result in anything mind blowing, but the exercise is apart of how ideas unfold and provides a deeper understanding of my materials, timing, and uncover how my own process emerges.
A lot of these “experiments” and “tests” offer me the most clarity in terms of how to go about something and how to achieve the desired result. I am both a fan of knowing how to do things and correctly, and educationally, breaking those same rules. The process is the most enjoyable part of the work for me, and I learn the most about my materials through these little experiments.
Back in undergrad, I would often dye my prints with tea and coffee; so I brought that practice back to the studio by testing the wash on my canvas totes. It’s a fun way to add a natural tone to canvas, that naturally weathers the material and I find it to be really nice when paired with the textures from the woodblock prints.
There are plenty of things that you can use to naturally dye your fabrics/garments and coffee is just one of those items. I will share more of these tests later, but if you’re interested in trying this out yourself, consider using some of your coffee grounds (they are fantastic for compost) so the coffee can brew you a nice cup of joe, dye some garments or fabrics lying around the house, and then be used as an input for compost; it’s a well rounded life if you ask me!
What I’m making outside of the studio!
Speaking of compost….
One of the things that has also been consuming my time, is my garden. To nurture a seed into maturity, is a practice within itself. And as of late, the practice of maintaining a connection to my food has become of renewed focus. With the trickle down effect of the supply chain disruption {specifically the missed window for fertilizers for the spring planting season} resulting from the ongoing war, I would recommend that no matter where you are, you start growing something. Even if it’s just a few herbs or vegetables, that is one less thing for you to have to source externally. I think it’s important to remind ourselves that though many of us might be disconnected from the systems that sustain our lives (and our food) we are not immune to the shocks that occur within those systems.
Though most of my energy goes into the creative outputs in my studio, my creative energy also gets put into growing food and tending to the interconnected systems that sustain the growth of said food. To nurture a seedling, manage it’s water intake and soil health, or even to make your own compost, is to quite literally participate in the creation of life itself. With that in mind, it’s easy to grasp the fragility of our systems and to be reminded of just how important it is to truly honor and appreciate every bite of food that you consume. Without going into full spiral on the state of the world, I hope you are paying attention to things unfolding outside of your immediate space/community and remind yourself of the ways that we are all connected (especially our food systems) and I hope you take some time to plant something, even if just a pot of basil.
If you are interested in more specific information on what I am referencing, please don’t hesitate to email me for sources and citations.
Music On Repeat This Week (In No Particular Order):
Mystified by Fleetwood Mac
Baby, You’re Gonna Miss That Plane by Dana and Alden
Funny How Time Slips Away by Al Green
The Ocean by Anchorson & Bookend
Mentira by Manu Chao
Together by Misha Panfilov (honorable mention)
What I’m Reading This Week:
As I’m currently in the final days of an upcoming deadline, I haven’t made much time for reading this week. But I have been listening to Embodied Astrology readings by Renee Sills and have tuned into the zodiacal reading for Gemini season! I listen to both my sun and rising signs and find Renee’s work as an astrologer to be especially guiding. I’m not interested in convincing others about the guidance that one can derive from astrology, but if you are inclined to give it a listen; I would highly recommend giving a listen to the reading for your rising sign. Their readings are completely free, though you can donate if you appreciate their work. I have been a supporter and consumer of their work for over six years now and love to recommend them to as many people as possible.
That’s all for this week’s studio letter. I hope you’re well and I’m looking forward to writing to you again next week :)
~Akea <3
