Making "The Root" — A 3-Week Process

"The Root" was the first Qurio piece to be completed and listed. It took three weeks from first pour to final frame. Here's how it came together.

Week 1: Preparation

The roots used in this piece were collected from a fallen oak tree in the Belgrade Forest outside Istanbul. We spent two days carefully extracting and cleaning a root system that had been growing underground for decades.

After cleaning, the roots were preserved using a proprietary treatment that maintains their color and prevents deterioration inside the resin. This preservation process alone takes three days.

Meanwhile, we prepared the mold — a custom silicone form designed to create the exact dimensions of our standard 50×70cm format.

Week 2: Pouring

The resin work began with the background layer: a thin pour of crystal-clear epoxy that forms the back of the piece. After 24 hours of curing, we arranged the roots and moss elements on this base layer.

Then came the critical middle pours — three separate layers of resin, each 1-2cm thick, each requiring 24-48 hours to cure. The roots needed to appear "floating" in the resin, so the timing of each pour was essential. Too early, and the elements would sink. Too late, and you'd see visible layer lines.

Week 3: Finishing

After the final pour cured (72 hours for the thickest layer), we began finishing. The resin block was removed from the mold, sanded through eight grits from 400 to 3000, then polished to optical clarity.

The LED lighting system was assembled: warm white (3000K) LEDs arranged in a custom pattern that highlights the root structure. This was integrated into the walnut burl frame, which was cut, shaped, and finished by hand.

The Result

Total time: 21 days. Total resin pours: 6. Total hours of hands-on work: approximately 40. The result is a one-of-one piece that captures an ancient root system in perfect clarity, glowing from within.

This is what every Qurio piece requires. There are no shortcuts. Each one is a three-week commitment to craft, patience, and precision.