Project Concept
FIGURATIVE TAPESTRY
The shapes of the people who shape their community
Figurative Tapestry is a site-specific installation designed to honor Oakland’s diverse community through a collective portrait of belonging.
In the stairwell of a new, low income housing development in Oakland, CA, a Floating Tapestry will be created: A vertical suspension of perforated panels, layered several deep to form a rich, lace-like surface. The artwork will be composed of hundreds of cut out silhouettes—portraits in profile that are both personal and universal.
From the street below, the installation reads as a dynamic, shifting mosaic of texture and color, animated by light, shadow, and movement. Up close, portraits come into focus, inviting visitors to recognize neighbors, local heroes, and familiar faces.
Looking outward through the cutouts, residents will see the neighborhood through the shapes of the people who shaped it.
Together, these layers of portraits form a dynamic tapestry—an expression of solidarity, interdependence, and community pride. The result is not just a striking public artwork, but a collective monument to Oakland’s identity and spirit, shaped by and for the people it represents.
Become a Part of Figurative Tapestry
Portraits will be gathered through community recommendations and free, professional public photo sessions.
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Friday May 29, 4:30-7pm
Future of the Bay Area Youth Market & 3431 SP Groundbreaking
3501 San Pablo Ave, Oakland.Site|Matter studio will have a photography set on site.
Come celebrate, come be seen.
Each silhouette becomes both a portrait and a symbol, evoking identity while also dissolving into a collective history.
Community Engagement, Social Impact & Cultural Legacy
At the heart of Figurative Tapestry is a commitment to making the community both the subject and co-creator of the work. Guided by an Advisory Committee of local residents, their input blends past and present, connecting contemporary lives to the city’s deeper cultural roots from generations past.
Community Participation
Portrait silhouettes will be derived from free, public photo sessions, ensuring inclusive representation across age, culture, and background. By prioritizing those most at risk of displacement, the project literally enshrines their presence in the built environment.
Social Impact
Sitting for a portrait and seeing it transformed into civic artwork is profoundly affirming—it communicates: you are seen, you belong here, you are honored. This collaborative process builds pride and recognition, while turning daily encounters with the site into moments of connection.
Integration of History
Interwoven with portraits of current residents will be thoughtfully selected silhouettes of past neighborhood activists, educators, caregivers and business owners, along with Ohlone leaders, reflecting Oakland’s Indigenous history and living legacy.
Artist Statement
SITE|MATTER studio
Site|Matter studio marks a new chapter for artists Marcus Guillard and Libby Carruth, building on decades of experience behind the scenes of complex public art projects.
Having worked as both fabricators and creative leads, we approach each project with a deep understanding of the technical, architectural, and collaborative demands of site-specific art. As collaborators, we are driven by the enduring stories embedded in people, places, and shared histories. Our work explores how collective memory shapes identity, and how art can preserve and celebrate what endures.
Through sculpture, installation, and design, we merge traditional craft with advanced fabrication to create works that bridge past and present. Our process values inclusivity, engagement, and precision, transforming shared stories into enduring, place-based artworks.
For Figurative Tapestry, this commitment becomes a celebration of community. The work serves as both portrait and monument, an evolving reflection of Oakland’s people, layered histories, and cultural resilience. By uniting our technical fluency with a deep respect for place and collaboration, we aim to honor Oakland’s identity and the collective spirit that defines it.
We are Site|Matter Studio — artists dedicated to transforming lived experience into lasting form.
Marcus Guillard
marcusguillard.com
Libby Carruth
libbycarruth.com
