New York
Usal & Public Records – Intro To Grafted Tree Sculpture
Usal & Public Records Present Living Things Series.
Living Things is a four-part series that brings the wild back into the city. Hosted in The Nursery at Public Records, each gathering is an invitation to explore how nature is not something separate from us—it’s something we can grow, build, and live with, even in a place like New York City. This is about more than plants; it’s about being in relationship with the living world.
In Part 2, BECOMING TREES, join artist Mamoun Nukumanu for a hands-on sculpture-building workshop where we’ll work with living willow—a material that bends, weaves, and roots. Together, we’ll create sculptural forms that are both art and organism, learning to shape and be shaped by the natural materials around us. Come get your hands dirty, connect with the city’s softer edges, and help contribute to something alive inside The Nursery.
Ticket Type
When
07/20
Time
8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Intensity
Intro to Grafted Tree Sculpture
Led by artist Mamoun Nukumanu, this hands-on workshop introduces you to the art of grafting trees into living sculptures. We’ll work with living willow—a material that bends, weaves, and roots - among other, locally sourced materials.
What To Expect
Foundations of Tree Grafting & Living Sculpture
You’ll learn to sculpt with the foundational techniques of tree grafting —guiding growth, not controlling it.
Weaving Willow: Hands-On Practice
Working in small groups, you’ll use your new understanding to create a grafted sculpture. Get your hands on living willow. Feel the calm as you bend, bind, and build with others.
Sculpting New Worlds
Conversations about what it means to build with nature—not over it. Come together to create infrastructure that’s rooted, alive, and joyfully entangled.
About Mamoun
NY-born artist, Mamoun Nukumanu, creates living sculptures from natural materials ranging from fungal mycelium, bacterial cellulose, and microalgae, to living trees. His work reimagines our relationship with the natural world—inviting us to see plants not just as background, but as collaborators in shaping a more connected, regenerative, and harmonious future.
His work appears across New York state, including The Ranch Gallery, Folly Tree Arboretum, and at Tripoli Gallery where he debuted his first solo exhibition, Birds, earlier this year.
Yerba Madre
Our friends at Yerba Madre will be offering complimentary Maté Lattes brewed with their organic, fair trade, loose leaf yerba mate. They'll keep you warm and energized as we start the morning together.