Dshamila Annina Wörnhard
Dshamila Annina Wörnhard is a self-employed fine woodworker based in Switzerland and Italy, and currently works as the Technical Director at Theater Chur. Her interest in woodwork and theatre began in 2008 during an internship at Schauspielhaus Zürich, where she focused on scenography and prop-making, developing a strong interest in the technical aspects of set construction. Following her carpentry apprenticeship at Stahl & Traumfabrik AG (2009–2014), she travelled through Japan, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal and Australia, learning about sustainable and collective ways of working and living. She later obtained certification in natural building in Vermont, furthering her engagement with traditional and ecological construction techniques. In 2017, Wörnhard co-founded the residency programme at La Mandria, a biodiverse site in the Tuscan forest dedicated to experimental and collective practices. She has been actively involved in addressing sexism and patriarchal structures in carpentry and among technicians in cultural institutions. In 2020 together with carpenter Seraina Rohner she co-initiated woodworking meetings with women, intersex, non-binary, trans and agender craftspeople and technicians, organising feminist woodworking workshops and gatherings. Her practice remains grounded in local wood, working from raw timber to the finished product using traditional joinery techniques that integrate the material as a core element of design.