The School House Gallery at Starworks invites you to the opening reception of “Restless Nature,” a solo exhibition of sculptural furniture by Elsa Hoffman, on Saturday, May 16th, from 5PM-7PM. This exhibition marks a rare opportunity to view a large collection of Hoffman’s sculptural furniture together, showcasing the past five years of her studio practice and new works created during her recent residency at Starworks. The collection will remain on public display through Wednesday, June 6th.

“My work begins from a kind of searching, feeling for something real, something meaty. My surroundings are my source material. The natural and architectural patterns and details of North Carolina shape my forms and designs.

Inspired by the ancient craft of terrazzo, I gather and repurpose aggregates – brick, stone, and other fragments – to embed within my concrete work. These scraps of materials, mined from local building projects, scavenged along the coastline, and salvaged from a beloved property being sold, are fragmented mementos. They tell tales and preserve a subtle storyline of place and relationship.

By creating objects for rest from steel, concrete, and rubble, I explore how furniture can embody both repose and restlessness, ornament and decay. What emerges are not just places to sit, but objects that hold memory and tension; grounded in their surroundings, materially honest, and unmistakably alive.”