Ashima Shiraishi Instagram – Snippets from the woodworking studio with Yoshida-san @monkeyhold_japan in 大垣 (Ogaki), Japan over the summer. Shaping these holds was a lesson in allowing the medium lead to the final form rather than having the mind dictate the outcome. The practice was about inhibiting the urge to mold the wood into a shape I had pre-envisioned; instead, surrendering to the wood, imagining how best to reveal its beauty and unique form. To hold something is gratifying, but the more I climb, the more curious I become about the entire ecosystem that holds the boulders. When examined more closely, the 侘寂 of the wood is unveiled through the imperfections of the gnarled knots, the layers and swirls of age lines that hold the stories of the tree the wood came from 🤍 🌳 Thx for capturing the warmth of this day thru the lens @noahsahady & thanks for including me in another fun project :) @arcteryx + @beams_official