Art from what's left

Once a leaf.
Once a pod.
Now art.

Natural materials and upcycled finds. Handmade in Dubai.

See the work
Round wall piece made of curled orchid tree seed pods and dry palm strips around a center of seeds on paper

Work

Once was. Now is.

Every piece starts as something found on the ground, or something thrown away.

Dried giant milkweed pods and stems arranged on a green board in an orange frame
Once was dry giant milkweed pods, flowers and pod parts, from plants that grow here. Now a framed piece on green.
Woven wall hanging of seed pods, branches and grass with a knotted jute fringe
Once was seed pods, branches, grass and a palm spathe. Now a woven wall hanging with a knotted jute fringe.
Wall hanging made of branches, bark, grass, seed pods and braided white fabric tied with twine
Once was branches, seed pods, grass and an old shirt. Now a woven wall hanging.
Green glass bottles holding dry seed pods and branches, with an avocado seed sprouting
Once was glass bottles and palm seed pods. Now small vase pieces, with an avocado seed starting its own story.
Dark, green and yellow feathers standing upright in a white cuttlebone base
Once was feathers found on the ground in the UAE, parakeet feathers among them, and a cuttlebone from the beach. Now a standing feather piece.
Canvas memory board with a dragonfly, shells, lichen, seaweed, a pine cone and a feather arranged in rows
Once was shells, lichen, seaweed and a dragonfly. Now a memory of a Finnish summer, found on walks while staying with friends.

Stories

Where it comes from

Every material has a life before it becomes art.

Material story

The orchid tree pod

The pod dries on the tree and twists into a corkscrew. Then it bursts open with a clack and throws its seeds. What I pick up is the empty, curled shell.

Material story

The giant milkweed

Each seed carries a tuft of silky down, so the wind can take it far. The plant grows on disturbed ground, often near building sites.

Material story

The cuttlebone

A cuttlefish carries its shell inside its body. When the animal dies, the bone stays behind and often washes up on the beach.

Material story

The places I walk

Wherever I walk: my neighborhood, parks, the desert, and forests when I travel. I look down and pick up what has already fallen.

About

Hello, I'm Narjess

I make art from what nature lets go. I walk, look down, and pick up what has fallen. Sometimes I collect things at the end of their season, with care.

When I travel, I bring a few pieces home and make something that remembers the place.

Where others see waste, I see a shape and a second life.

Narjess holding a round nest-shaped piece made of dry leaf strips

Find me here

Instagram: @once.was.studio Pinterest: oncewasstudio