48 new materials - Material ConneXion

Woven bamboo and foam by Satyendra Pakhalé
Walz to participate in the project by designing
modular building and decorative elements.
Each designer received a kit containing
such materials as abaca fiber, bamboo,
saguing (banana plant fiber), coconut shell,
lahar (pumice), and nito (a supple fern) and
was asked to select at least one material to
transform into something precious—hence
the exhibition’s title.
Clodagh has gained a reputaion for using
sustainable materials, modern technology,
and ancient techniques to create almost
spiritually beautiful environments. She
chose to work with abaca fiber, which is obtained
from the leaf of a banana-like plant,
for its exceptional strength, flexibility, and
lustrous color palette. In her wall and ceiling
panels, she capitalizes on the material’s
naturally uneven fiber concentration to
achieve different levels of transparency. For
this designer, part of the excitement of being
involved in the Transformations project
was the hope that her product would be “a
true commodity and create a work source to
increase the prosperity of the Philippines.”
Kevin Walz Clodagh David Rockwell
Photo: © Jonathan Levine
OF MATERIAL INTEREST
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