DANTE: The blurrier those distinctions are, the more interesting it becomes, but that’s the Gemini in me talking. But maybe we’re both comfortable and interested in talking about it because the projects we take on bleed into each other and the way we make work absorbs all the influence around us. Why should there be a distinction between something that is productive and something that is meditative or spiritual; or distinct from the rest of the universe rather than framing a part of it?

DANTE: My sister and I grew up between Buddhist temples and Catholic churches, and while we’re not religious, I did recognize early on the kind of energy this context gave off, how individuals expressed their spirituality through these physical forms like architecture and objects. Working at an art center, you’d sometimes find yourself in front of a work you’re really into and just kind of stop, sit, and wonder, and lose yourself for a moment, for whatever reason. The idea that similar vibes can come from two different environments makes you wonder if there’s something to be revealed about how deep our relationship is to the things we make. It might be a hidden sense.

DANTE: It’s been great that we’ve approached this with knowledge but without pretense, irony, or cynicism, and maybe that’s what motivates us ultimately. At the end of the day, the universe throws you things that you have to pick up and figure out how you relate to it, and I think that’s how we’ve been able to gauge our own thoughts and ideas throughout this project. Whether it’s a death in the family, or a sunny day on a hidden beach, or even a simple clay brick, its the universe’s way of saying “I’m still here, you keep listening.”