Newly crafted hair tools from kitchen waste materials.
SHAIRS
Through intensive engagement with a variety of kitchen waste materials, we explored new configurations of these materials. This ultimately led to the exploration of the multifaceted nature of hair and how we can rediscover its significance in our lives.
The end result was a new haircare ritual that invites nature to be an active participant in this intimate moment.
Jula Sanders, Taïssia Visser, Nathalie Kamp, Marc Wijkmans
Collection of material samples. By engaging in the making process of these materials, we allowed the unexpected appearance of possible applications for these materials to emerge.
Learning points
This course significantly shifted my attitude towards the role of materials in the design process. I understood how materials can and should actively take part as non-humans in a design process. This attitude switch occurred to me when I was reflecting on the design process. In hindsight, all we did was bring materials together and observe their characteristics and how they evolved over time. It was as if the materials were in charge of generating the ideas and design directions, and we were just there to make sense of it and translate it into concepts.
Building on this reflection point, I reshaped my design process for future projects. Instead of engaging in the making process in later stages, I would engage with the making of new materials earlier on in the process and allow the direction of the project to unfold by means of the materials.
Apart from these learning points, this course also sparked my interest in material design. Consequently, I continued my masters exploring novel materials with wool.
The tool on the right is a scrubbing tool to cleanse the scalp. The tool on the left can be used to comb the hair and collect the skin flakes. Ad some point, when the comb is full of skin flakes and hair, it can be buried in the ground, providing nutrients to the soil.
