Break it to Make it: Reimagining Deconstructed Furniture as Sculpture

Monday, June 29, 2026 – Thursday, July 2, 2026
9am-1pm (4 sessions) Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill

This course adopts a learning-by-doing approach with a strong emphasis on process. Students will deconstruct a piece of furniture using a range of tools and techniques, gaining insight into its construction methods and material logic. After disassembly, students will reconceptualize the component parts as a sculptural object that reflects and reinterprets the furniture’s utilitarian origins. The reconstructed works will be assembled using a variety of wood joinery methods that incorporate both hand tools and light power tools.

In addition to working with the salvaged materials, students will consider the introduction of color and, when appropriate, the integration of found objects sourced from the abundant materials present in everyday environments. Throughout the course, we will examine the multidimensional relationship between form and meaning that emerges when disparate elements are combined with objects bearing a utilitarian past. Students will explore the social, cultural, and personal implications of incorporating domestic objects alongside found materials, and how these combinations shape sculptural intention and interpretation.