Comfort Zone

Comfort Zone exhibits the collaborative work of Beci Orpin and Softer Studios (Dustin Fritsche) to explore the intersections of craft, material, and technology. While Beci works with soft fabrics and digital processes, Dustin shapes solid wood into physical forms, yet both rely on hand-making, repetition, and pattern. The contrasts in their work are also their similarities: hard vs. soft, wood vs. textiles, craft vs. digital.

Through a series of furniture pieces, Comfort Zone highlights the unexpected connections between traditional techniques and contemporary digital design. From the cross-stitched grid to the pixelated screen, the handmade and the machine-made begin with the same logic. How does a centuries-old embroidery technique mirror the structure of MS-DOS graphics or ASCII art?

Contrasting materials — wood, fabric, and vibrant, bold colors — add joy to the pieces, making them feel approachable rather than traditional. These themes are explored through a mix of modern and traditional techniques, including woodworking, embroidery, screen printing, and hand painting, resulting in experimental, one-of-a-kind pieces that combine playfulness with concept.

This exhibition is sponsored by Elton Group, Neometro and Italian Quality Coatings.