What inspired your Idea of a Tree project? “On the one hand, it was trees — mainly how they’re able to react and develop according to their surrounding influences. You can see this in the way they grow: Dendrochronology lets you read from their rings all the details about their lives. They’re like living records.” Pictured: The solar-powered machine makes furniture by wrapping resin-coated thread around a mold; its thickness and color depends on the amount of sunshine present.