New York was my home in my early twenties, a place to study design and absorb the pace of the city. After five years, I returned to my hometown. In that familiar space, reconnected with the landscape and my community, MATNAS took root, and I met my partner.
Now, entering my thirties, we have returned to New York. But bringing MATNAS here means changing its very foundation. Because our work is deeply tethered to locality - to the natural materials and practices of a specific place - shifting our coordinates shifts our entire infrastructure. It changes our inspiration, our methods, and the raw materials we hold in our hands. We are beginning the careful work of redefining MATNAS for a new environment.
I’ve come to believe that careful consumption starts with a personal practice: forming a deeper relationship with the objects we surround ourselves with. We are shaped by our physical surroundings. These photos, captured by Meidan Arush in my former home and studio, serve as a quiet farewell. A simple acknowledgment of the space, the memories, and the objects left behind as we start anew.
