Leah Woods

To Cultivate a Garden

“To cultivate a garden” is a loose translation of the Italian phrase coltivare l’orticello, which describes redirecting concern or despair about broader political conditions into focused, tangible action. Rather than disengaging, it emphasizes working within one’s immediate environment to create meaningful, if modest, impact. This is the overarching focus within my new body of wood sculptures.

The “gardens” I construct, exist between reality and invention, where scientific study of plant forms meets fantasy and curiosity about the shapes and colors they embody. Each form suggests biomechanical function, such as how that structure channels stress or water, while also retaining a sense of mystery in its color and design. The sculptures encourage close inspection, prompting reflection on the constraints that shape them and the metaphors they may evoke.

Technically, I use bent lamination and coopering to construct these sculptures. Curved elements are laminated and then assembled using adhesives and mechanical fasteners. Bent lamination produces smooth, continuous curves, while coopering transforms these curves into volumetric structures with defined edges and facets. Together, these techniques generate cylindrical forms that are simultaneously rigid and fluid.