At the heart of Wayfinding is the humble tool — not only as an instrument of making, but as a symbol of intention, presence, and care. 

In this exhibition, Southern Idaho–based interdisciplinary artist and educator Jessica Larsen presents wall-mounted and sculptural works that blur the line between functional object, symbolic form, and quiet abstraction.

Drawing from her background in fine woodworking and rural craft traditions, Larsen reimagines tools as emotional implements — wayfinders, protectors, and companions designed not to work on the world, but to work within it. These pieces suggest use without instruction, inviting intuitive engagement and personal interpretation. Minimalist in form and surreal in tone, the works carry the quiet authority of objects shaped by hand and held with purpose.

Rooted in Larsen’s practice as a reiki practitioner, each work is created with intentional energetic presence — meant to hold space, support reflection, or offer subtle guidance. Using modest and reclaimed materials including gypsum cement, wood, wax, and fabric, Larsen elevates what is often overlooked, honoring the values of rural, working-class making where resourcefulness, care, and skill are acts of both survival and creativity. Together, the works in Wayfinding become quiet companions — tools for grounding, healing, and inner navigation.

Artist Bio

Jessica Larsen is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in rural Southern Idaho. With a background in fine woodworking and a deep reverence for craftsmanship, she creates sculptural and functional objects that reflect the intimacy, energy, and stories of home. Her work draws on the material traditions of her upbringing and her commitment to energetic practices such as reiki, resulting in pieces that feel both grounded and quietly transformative.

Larsen is an adjunct faculty member in the woodworking department at the College of Southern Idaho, where she teaches hands-on skill development with an emphasis on presence, intention, and material sensitivity. Her practice bridges craft, art, and domestic ritual, infusing modest materials with care and elevating them into vessels of memory, healing, and connection. Rooted in the rhythms of rural life and shaped by generational working-class knowledge, Larsen’s work explores how handcrafted objects shape the spaces — and energies — we live within.

Artist Statement

Each piece I create is made with the intention that it will share space with others — living in people’s homes and becoming part of their intimate environments. My work is not only about aesthetics, but about presence: how an object can exist alongside people, bearing witness to the quiet rhythms of daily life. I see these works as companions rather than static forms, absorbing and reflecting the energy of the spaces they inhabit.

I believe there is a transference of energy in the objects we surround ourselves with — a quiet alchemy that occurs when something handmade enters a home. I infuse my work with reiki energy, a practice rooted in channeling universal life force to create balance and harmony. By embedding this energy into my pieces, I seek to create objects that not only exist in a space, but actively shape it, radiating a subtle vitality that influences those who live alongside them.

My background as a trained woodworker deeply informs my approach. In craft, every detail is considered — how a piece will be used, how it will feel in the hand, how it will live in a home. This awareness carries into my artistic practice. My work is meant to be touched, lived with, and integrated into daily life, becoming part of the inner workings of a space.

I come from a lineage of working-class makers, where craftsmanship is not ornamental but essential — a legacy of care, necessity, and pride. Craft connects me to my ancestors and to the materials I work with. The slow, deliberate process of making is how I demonstrate care and honor those whose skilled hands came before me. By applying meticulous detail and skillful workmanship, I aim to elevate modest materials into objects that feel precious and intentional, reflecting the overlooked beauty and quiet strength of the rural communities I continue to admire.