The Studio

Work in Use is a Providence, Rhode Island based design studio committed to the production of high-end movement tools. Elevating these objects enhances our experience of using them and encourages us to incorporate movement into our everyday life. The objects are meant to be used and displayed in the home, not hidden away, but rather celebrated in their craft and materiality. Work in Use was founded by Wu Hanyen in 2019. Each piece is handmade with attention to detail in our studio and in collaboration with a community of fabricators in New England.

About Wu

Wu worked as a furniture maker for 5 years in New York City prior to receiving her MFA in Furniture Design from Rhode Island School of Design. An injury in the woodshop, hours of reflection, and a passion for both movement and making is what crafted the creation of her company, Work in Use.

Wu has been a practitioner studying movement as inspired by calisthenics, Ido Portal Method, and the Fighting Monkey. As a craftsperson, she believes we should take care of our body the way we maintain and sharpen our tools. Wu is reframing the way we understand our studio practice by reconnecting with our movement potential and improving physical intelligence.

Wu is currently Associate Professor in the Sculpture Department at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She has offered virtual movement classes specifically intended for glass makers and artists, online recordings are available through GEEX.