Held at the Aboriginal Gathering Place at ECU, Jopoi shared methodologies for interpersonal exchange, collective reflection and collaborative making.
A recent workshop at the Aboriginal Gathering Place (AGP) at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) brought together students, faculty and alumni to explore how reciprocity, storytelling and collective reflection might underpin the work of artists and designers.
Co-led by ECU faculty member Patricia Vera (MDes 2022), Jopoi: A Practice of Reciprocity in Turtle Island aimed to create space for ethical interpersonal and creative exchange.
“Jopoi was an encounter of stories, positionalities and shared vulnerability,” Patricia says. “In the quiet act of making together, reciprocity became something we could feel—offered through our hands, our listening, and our presence. Making became a gentle gesture of healing, rooted in empathy, kindness, our shared humanity, and relational accountability.”
Jopoi was co-led by Vijay Palaparty, a designer and educator who, like Patricia, is currently pursuing his PhD through the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in partnership with the Parsons School of Design at The New School. The gathering advanced a program first initiated by Patricia and Vijay during RMIT’s Practice Research Symposium in 2024, hosted in New York City in partnership with the Parsons School of Design.
Jopoi is grounded in Guarani principles from Paraguay centred on reciprocity, mutual care, and the ethical exchange of knowledge. According to Patricia, the word symbolizes “generosity, relationality and an understanding that knowledge is not extracted, but shared through trust, attentiveness and lived experience.”
Artist and ECU faculty member Dr. Mimi Gellman was one of the participants.
“The workshop was a surprising, heart-centred experience that inspired both personal and collective action,” Mimi says. “It fostered deep learning and meaningful conversation. By operating through a decolonized framework, the gathering ultimately allowed us to gain a sharper, more intimate understanding of ourselves and the worlds that shape us.”
During the workshop, participants established care-centred frameworks for dialogue and reciprocity; created collaborative and individual works reflecting their conversations; and concluded with a shared ritual to ground the gathering in personal and collective histories.
“Jopoi brought together faculty, students, alumni, and members of the ECU community in a generous and welcoming way,” says designer and ECU faculty member Charlotte Falk. “Through reflection, sharing, making and dance, we considered who we are, where we come from, and the ways in which we connect — to each other, to other beings and through/with materials, making and movement. The workshop created space for listening, relationship-building, and learning in ways that can be difficult to prioritize. Pat and Vijay’s collaboration brought these considerations together with care, generosity and thoughtful guidance.”
The Jopoi workshop at the AGP forms part of a series of events and collaborations also held in New York City and San Francisco. Through this practice, Patricia and Vijay intend to continue exploring how relational methodologies can foster meaningful encounters across disciplines, contexts and communities.
Follow Patricia and Vijay on Instagram to learn more about their work.
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