Nico Ibaceta

My practice is rooted in handcraft, water, and collective making. My work begins where hands meet water. Through the shared act of building boats, I explore how craftsmanship creates connection, knowledge, and new ways of being together. What I build is not only a vessel, but a process, one that brings people into dialogue with materials, water, and with each other. I understand handcraft as more than a technical skill. It is an ethical and cultural practice grounded in attention, care, and embodied knowledge. Working by hand creates time for learning, listening, and collaboration, opening space for exchange between tradition and contemporary practice. Water is central to my work. Rivers, lakes, and coastal landscapes are not just settings, but active participants. I approach water as a teacher and as a shared space that connects communities and ecosystems. My projects take the form of sculptures, exhibition objects, collective constructions, and public encounters. They are open processes that welcome diverse backgrounds and experiences, where shared making allows knowledge to circulate beyond formal education