INVASIVE SEAWEED BIO-RESIN

The Invasive Seaweed Bio-Resin project emerged from material design research conducted during an artist residency on the Algarve coast, Portugal. The project explores the potential of the invasive seaweed species Rugulopteryx okamurae as a raw ingredient for sustainable biomaterial development, combining it with natural bio-binders to form hybrid organic composites.

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These experiments resulted in materials that are structurally strong yet thermoplastic, allowing for multiple fabrication approaches — from casting and layering to hand-forming and coating. Each method produces distinct surface textures and visual effects, revealing the material’s expressive and adaptive nature.

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The research led to a series of functional candleholders and vases, where an environmental issue is reinterpreted as a creative opportunity. Through the transformation of marine waste into design, the project highlights the poetic intersection between ecology, craftsmanship, and innovation — illustrating how invasive matter can find new meaning as material for design and art.

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Created by Austėja Platūkytė