Jai Vellala Wilson has spent the last decade working in 3D animation across advertising, design, and film. But after COVID, and after starting to feel jaded by constant computer work, he turned toward something more tactile. Woodworking has now become the main thing he does. Over the past year, he has shifted his focus more fully into making physical objects, while still occasionally taking on animation projects.

Much of his woodworking revolves around solving practical storage problems, which he finds to be very satisfying. There is creativity in trying to figure out the constraints or each space. Jai also makes functional pieces such as spoons and cabinets and is currently learning more about traditional joinery. Alongside his creative practices, Jai also teaches meditation on a voluntary basis. He has been teaching for about a year and practicing for seven. Meditation is the practise that he sees as being a long-term process and where his heart truly lies.

Jai has been at Contact for about a month. He really appreciates the community. The diversity of skills, personalities, and working methods has already led to many meaningful exchanges. He values having a space where ideas can be explored as they arise, to explore new ideas and to play.

At the moment, he is working on an animation project that involves taking static designs and bringing them into motion. He also has several client-based woodworking commissions in progress and is building out his storage unit here at Contact. The movement between digital and physical work is a big part of what shapes his days.

Inspiration, for Jai, is something that comes from everywhere. Since his work spans different mediums and is still evolving, almost anything can spark inspiration. He is particularly drawn to the overlap between digital and physical processes, often designing something digitally as a way of understanding how it might exist materially.

Several projects stand out as especially meaningful. During COVID, while living in The Hague, he and his roommates removed the carpeting and wallpapered the ceiling of his apartment and then built a low stage in the living room. It was a spontaneous and fun transformation of their space. On a more intimate level, he created a 3D model of his cat after having to put her down. One of his earliest woodworking projects, made with a table saw he was still learning to use at the time, was a seed box for his mother. This tool is not one that he is quite comfortable with and used often.