Panel — “Still Rowing” May 2026
The sea is rough. The destination is unclear. The rower keeps going.
Artist Statement
Life rarely moves in a straight line. We row through uncertainty, setbacks, and hope. The figure is alone, but not defeated. For me, the work is about persistence — continuing forward even when the destination remains out of sight.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Still Rowing, Michael Farro presents a solitary rower moving through fractured water toward a distant radiant sun. Built entirely from natural wood veneer, the panel combines cubist geometry with the physical warmth of wood to create an image of endurance, struggle, and forward motion. The work reflects on persistence in uncertainty — the quiet insistence on continuing even when the path ahead is unstable.
Panel — “Quiet Happiness” March 2026
A mother cradles her child in quiet tenderness, the warmth of the sun echoing the warmth of the human bond.
Artist Statement
A mother feeding her child is one of the most ordinary moments in life — and one of the most important. The work is not about a specific religious figure. It is about tenderness, protection, and the quiet happiness found in caring for another human being.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Quiet Happiness, Michael Farro presents a timeless image of motherhood: a woman holding and nursing her child beneath a radiant sun. Drawing on the long artistic tradition of Madonna and Child imagery, the work reinterprets the subject in universal terms. Created entirely from natural wood veneer, the panel transforms subtle variations in grain and tone into a quiet meditation on care, protection, and the continuity of human life. Rather than depicting a religious icon, the work suggests that the sacred may exist in the everyday act of a mother nurturing her child.
Panel — "Unseen” January 2026
A figure lies unseen beneath a familiar marketplace, while others pass through light without stopping.
Artist Statement
Homelessness is difficult for me to ignore. Many people walk past suffering every day without really seeing it. This work asks a simple question: what happens when a person becomes part of the background?
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Unseen, Michael Farro turns his attention to a form of suffering so familiar it is often no longer seen. A collapsed figure lies beneath the sign of a public marketplace, while passersby move through light and structure without interruption. The scene depicts no dramatic event — only an ordinary moment in which vulnerability exists alongside indifference. Formed entirely from natural wood veneer, the panel asks the viewer to pause and notice what daily life teaches us to overlook.
Panel — “Caprice No. 24” December 2025
A lyrical homage to musical energy and expression — the violinist’s posture and the radiating facets of wood carry the intensity and nuance of performance in a visual rhythm of shape and grain.
Artist Statement
Inspired by Paganini's famous Caprice No. 24, this work tries to capture the energy of music in wood. The sharp angles and changing grain follow the movement and intensity of the performance.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Caprice No. 24, Farro celebrates the interplay of musical spirit and form, using intersecting planes of wood to suggest both motion and melody in a tactile, visual medium.
Panel — “Dancers” June 2025
An exploration of motion and rhythm captured in wood — figures woven together in abstracted form to evoke the energy of human movement and connection.
Artist Statement
I wanted to capture movement rather than specific people. The figures merge into rhythm and motion, as if the dance continues beyond the edges of the panel.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Dancers, Farro synthesizes form and movement, using contrasting wood textures to evoke the energy and cadence of human motion as a unified ensemble.
Panel — “Conversation” October 2025
A visual interpretation of a profound religious conversation — the interplay of faith, reflection, and shared understanding expressed through form, gesture, and the natural character of wood.
Artist Statement
Some conversations change us. This work is about listening, questioning, and the search for understanding between people who share a tradition but may see it differently.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Conversation, Farro explores the nuances of religious dialogue — its tensions, harmonies, and the quiet power of mutual engagement.
Panel — “War” August 2025
A father lies fallen; a child kneels beside him. Long after the battle ends, the consequences remain.
Artist Statement
A child kneels beside a fallen father. The scene is specific, but the suffering is universal. Problems cannot be solved through killing or humiliation — they only return in terrible ways.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In War, Farro shows the intimate devastation of war.
Panel — “October 7” July 2025
One shows the atrocity of October 7. These forms evoke fire — not literal flames, but the burning memory of violence and loss.
Artist Statement
I created this work because I did not want the events of October 7 to fade into statistics. The panel is not about politics. It is about memory, loss, and the responsibility to remember.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
October 7 a marquetry panel by Michael Farro — responds to the atrocities of October 7 its flame-like shapes are not literal fire, but the burning memory of violence.
Panel — “October 7: Second Version” September 2025
A second treatment of October 7, revisiting the subject through a different formal structure and emotional emphasis.
Artist Statement
This panel returns to the events of October 7 through a revised composition.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
October 7 a marquetry panel by Michael Farro — responds to the atrocities of October 7 its flame-like shapes are not literal fire, but the burning memory of violence.
Panel — “Yom Kippur in Warsaw Ghetto, 1939” June 2024
Based on Karl Knaths's Day of Atonement (1938–40), a painting in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Although not an original composition, this marquetry panel is my personal response to a work that deeply moved me.
Artist Statement
Many of my relatives on both my mother's and father's sides were murdered during World War II. When I saw Knaths's painting, it spoke to something deeply personal. Creating this panel was my way of connecting memory, loss, and family history through the language of wood.
Press materials
Press release (excerpt)
In Yom Kippur in Warsaw Ghetto, 1939, Farro reinterprets Karl Knaths’s Day of Atonement in wood veneer, transforming a modernist painting into a tactile act of remembrance.
MetroWest Artist Award
Unseen received the MetroWest Artist Award at the 2026 Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition.
About this award
In 2026, Unseen was selected for exhibition in the Danforth Annual Juried Exhibition at the Danforth Art Museum in Framingham, Massachusetts.
The work was further recognized with the MetroWest Artist Award, presented to an artist from the MetroWest region whose contribution distinguished itself among the exhibiting artists.
Unseen explores themes of invisibility, dignity, and the human tendency to overlook suffering that exists in plain sight. Constructed entirely from natural wood veneer, the panel reflects my continuing interest in narrative marquetry as a medium for contemporary human stories.
Fragments of Memory
Invitation poster for Fragments of Memory, a solo exhibition presenting narrative marquetry panels exploring memory, history, and human experience through wood veneer.
About this exhibition
Fragments of Memory brings together a body of work developed around themes of memory, loss, faith, and human dignity. Using natural wood veneer, the exhibition transforms historical and personal subjects into structured, geometric compositions that remain grounded in recognizable human experience.
The exhibition opened on April 30, 2026, and continues through May, presenting marquetry not only as a decorative technique, but as a narrative fine art medium.
The opening reception took place at Centre Makor Community Hub in Newton, with visitors engaging in discussion and reflection around the works.
Michael Farro Art Exhibition
The invitation poster for the Jookender exhibition, followed by moments from the event itself: visitors engaging with the work, discussing the panels, and sharing time together. These images reflect not only the presentation of the marquetry, but also the human context in which it was received.
About this exhibition
The first image shows the official invitation to the Jookender exhibition. The following photographs document the event itself — from attentive viewing of the panels to group discussion and informal gathering.
The exhibition functioned not only as a presentation of finished works, but also as a space for dialogue. Viewers interacted with the panels, asked questions, and reflected on the themes, reinforcing the idea of marquetry as a communicative and living art form.
Wood Marquetry for the Very Beginners
Official poster for Wood Marquetry for the Very Beginners, an introductory marquetry workshop where I demonstrate the fundamentals of wood veneer inlay and guide participants through creating their first geometric marquetry composition. The workshop was fully booked in advance.
About this workshop
This class introduces participants to the basic techniques of traditional wood marquetry: working with veneer, composing patterns, and assembling a small decorative panel. The workshop is designed specifically for beginners and requires no prior experience.
The event took place at Jookender Community Initiative in Framingham. The workshop cost $105 per participant and was fully booked in advance.
Art About the Holocaust
Official invitation for Art About the Holocaust, a group exhibition and film screening held at Centre Makor in observance of Holocaust Remembrance Day. My marquetry work was presented alongside photography, graphic art, and film addressing memory, history, and survival.
About this exhibition
This exhibition brought together artists working across different media to reflect on the Holocaust and its enduring presence in personal and collective memory. My contribution consisted of narrative marquetry panels, using wood veneer as a material of permanence, fragility, and remembrance.
The event included a screening of the documentary The Lost Brothers, Israel and was presented as part of Centre Makor’s Holocaust Remembrance Day programming.
Jookender Exhibition
A moment from Jookender exhibition, with visitors observing marquetry panels on the wall. This image captures the atmosphere and engagement that made this show meaningful.
About this photo
This installation view documents my participation in the Jookender exhibition and shows visitors engaging with the work in a public setting. It marks an important step in the presentation of my marquetry practice.
Michael Farro was born in Bobruisk, Belarus. He studied at MIIT in Moscow and earned a Ph.D. in Economics. Michael works as a computer programmer and has taught computer science at Boston University. In parallel with his technical career, he pursues marquetry — creating narrative wood veneer panels. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife.
His panels explore memory, history, faith, suffering, and human dignity through narrative composition, geometry, and the expressive character of wood grain.
For exhibitions, press, or workshop inquiries: contact@michaelfarro.art
From First Glimpse to Full Voice
A feature article published by JewishBoston discussing my path into marquetry, the development of my artistic voice, and the themes explored in my work.