In my studio at the Academy, I am presenting a constellation of collaborative works that reflect my inspirations and research rooted in the language of weaving—conceptually, materially, and communally. From a mosaic table built with Roman master Bruno Ammann, to a sculptural collection of handwoven garments made with Italian silk spinners, to an installation shaped by the presence of crows who leave broken shells on my balcony—each piece explores how objects can carry us, protect us, and connect us. I see the coats I weave as shells, as boats, as soft forms of armor—echoed in a series of glass birds I am developing with glassblower Diego Vio, inspired by ancient Roman vessels that once held perfume.

What connects these works is a commitment to slowness, to care, and to the handmade object as a vessel for nourishment and gathering. My time in Rome has been shaped by seeking out and learning from third- to fifth-generation artisans—knocking on doors, tracing materials to their sources, and listening closely to the stories embedded in craft. These works are seeds: beginnings of larger collaborations across Italy that will unfold over the coming year, tethered always to the table, the textile, and the cosmos of connection between them.