An oyster shell rug invites you to explore its landscape of honest yet unexpected textures through curiosity, immersing you in the lesser-known exterior of the tactile shell rather than its familiar pearly interior.

Participants experience the installation by lying on the rug while listening to an accompanying meditative soundscape through headphones. Using touch & guided audio to engage in the authenticity of the rug’s strangeness, rather than succumbing to discomfort, participants are encouraged to reflect on those qualities within.

Exploring unexpected ways to express oyster shell textures, I used tufting to create both rough unevenness & softness. The visual of the rug attracts touch, yet playing with textile hardener I created intricate rock-like textures that add further layers of discovery, mimicking the clusters of parasites & algae that form archives of each oyster’s history.