COLLABORATIVE
I have found collaboration to be an essential part of my creative process. Although not all of my studio production is collaborative, my greatest innovations have resulted from partnering with others. Just as working in the studio is a dialog with tools, materials, and processes, creative exploration with others presents endless new possibilities. For me, teaching is a natural extension of this process. Although it is a very different dynamic in the classroom, I often feel I learn at least as much as my students do with each new project. Commissioned works are not often thought of as collaborative but the discussion and feedback through the entire process can be similar and also lead to successful works that would not otherwise come to fruition. Each of these different modes of creation has their own inherent benefits and am always thankful for the opportunities to share in the process of making with others. I am most grateful to my wife, Umut Demirgüç Thurman. As partners in UJ Design Studios, we are continually engaged in a rich conversation with materials, people, and each other that is essential to our joyful pursuit of creating beauty.