I was invited to include two works in WAYD (What Are You Doing), an exhibition held at Treehouse Gallery on Queen Street, Auckland, in 2006. The invitation offered an opportunity to share my personal interest in drawing and the possibilities of working by hand within a contemporary art setting.

Drawing has always been an important part of my practice, both as an architect and as a means of artistic expression. For me, it is more than a way of recording an idea. It is a way of thinking, observing and understanding the world through the act of making. I am drawn to the precision of a line, the accumulation of detail and the patience required to craft a drawing by hand. There is a particular satisfaction in the process itself, where time, concentration and a sensitivity to materials become inseparable from the finished work. The two works presented in the exhibition reflected this appreciation for drawing as both a discipline and a deeply personal pursuit.

Founded in January 2006 by a small collective of local creatives, including street artist and muralist Cinzah Merkens, Treehouse Gallery provided an independent platform for emerging contemporary artists to experiment beyond the conventions of the established gallery system. WAYD challenged participants to explore paper as both material and medium, inviting site specific installations, dimensional constructions and unconventional works made from or directly onto paper. The exhibition encouraged artists to move beyond the page as a flat surface, exploring its potential to occupy space and blur the boundaries between drawing, painting, sculpture and installation.

Reflecting the energy of Auckland's independent art scene in the mid 2000s, WAYD brought together underground street aesthetics, lowbrow art and experimental approaches to physical form. For me, the exhibition represented a natural meeting point between art and architecture, reinforcing the importance of drawing not simply as a tool for design, but as a craft and a way of thinking in its own right. Although Treehouse Gallery closed in early 2007, its brief existence contributed to Auckland's independent creative culture, offering artists a space to experiment, collaborate and share ideas beyond traditional boundaries.