`LSN : Shows : RCA and CSM 2015: Ones to watch`

RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO
WATCH
By Aleksandra Szymanska
22 : 07 : 2015
Royal College Of Art : Material Futures : Central Saint Martins
The annual design carnival known as the graduate shows
season offered a crop of talented designers working in a wide
range of creative approaches, from material innovation to
building critical future scenarios. LS:N Global profiles the
designers to watch from the 2015 Royal College of Art (RCA) and
Central Saint Martins (CSM) shows.
The Cow of Tomorrow by Paul Gong
The Cow of Tomorrow by Paul Gong
The Cow of Tomorrow by Paul Gong
Paul Gong (RCA)
In his speculative project The Cow of Tomorrow, Gong investigated the potential of bio-engineering domestic
animals to become a source of clean energy. The designer charts the biotechnology design process needed to
transform dairy cows as we know them today into a new type of utility animal, including a tiny turbine implanted
into the animal’s artery to harness power through its blood flow.
Insight : Show s
Page 1 of 6
RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO WATCH
Hot Wire Extensions by Studio Ilio
Hot Wire Extensions by Studio Ilio
Studio Ilio (RCA)
Fabio Hendry and Seongil Choi, co-founders of Studio Ilio, examined the potential of manufacturing solid objects
from waste nylon powder in their project, Hot Wire Extensions. The duo used simple wire structures to pass
electric currents, heating and eventually melting the powder left over from selective laser sintering (SLS) around
them, to sculpt organically shaped forms. Graceful lines and granular, matte surfaces give the pieces a luxurious
feel, rarely achieved in experimental processes.
ceramic pieces by Alexandra
ceramic pieces by Alexandra
ceramic pieces by Alexandra
ceramic pieces by Alexandra
Simpson
Simpson
Simpson
Simpson
Alex Simpson (RCA)
Ceramics & Glass course graduate Alex Simpson exhibited a spatial installation constructed from large-scale
sculptural pieces. By mixing clay with dark indigo ink, the artist achieved organic patterns and gradients that
elevate the form and give the resulting works an animate, almost spiritual, presence. The pigment spilled
symbolically onto the surrounding space, creating a visceral atmosphere.
Insight : Show s
Page 2 of 6
RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO WATCH
The English Language Has Become Unintelligible, 2930, The Future
The Great Exhibition, 215, The Future Will Have to Wait by Alice
Will Have to Wait by Alice Theodorou at the Royal College of Art,
Theodorou at the Royal College of Art, London
London
Alice Theodorou (RCA)
Graduating from an MA Architecture course, Theodorou presented a critical project that challenged the
shortsightedness of redevelopment plans for London’s public space. Analysing the challenges that the capital will
have to face over the next 10,000 years, the designer constructed an alternative long-term plan, focusing
specifically on an alternative development scheme for London’s Mount Pleasant Sorting Office, now a hot media
topic because of its proximity to Farringdon Crossrail station.
Castaw ay Furniture by Ilaria
Castaw ay Furniture by Ilaria
Castaw ay Furniture by Ilaria
Castaw ay Furniture by Ilaria
Bianchi
Bianchi
Bianchi
Bianchi
Ilaria Bianchi (CSM)
The familiar concept of upcycling takes on a new life in CastAway Furniture, Bianchi’s investigation of the aesthetic
language of discarded objects, material waste and rubbish that the designer believes are taking over our planet.
Rather than concealing the visual qualities of objects or recycling them to create new forms, the designer used
simple scraps of material and fragments of objects to construct functional furniture and propose a new aesthetic
typology. ‘The modus operandi I developed became a never-ending problem-solving and creativity exercise, which
has no design limits except for the ethical commitment to the recovery of waste,’ the designer says on her
website.
Insight : Show s
Page 3 of 6
RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO WATCH
Catherine, Francoise, Jacques and I (tribute to "les demoiselles de
Catherine, Francoise, Jacques and I (tribute to "les demoiselles de
Rochefort") by Caroline Milon
Rochefort") by Caroline Milon
Caroline Milon (RCA)
Working with a palette of fresh acidic colours, textile designer Caroline Milon created a collection of fabric panels
with unique graphic qualities reminiscent of watercolour paintings or Matisse’s collages. Soft, cut-out forms in
highly saturated hues were juxtaposed against extremely fine, translucent textile backgrounds using the devore
(burn out) technique and silkscreeen printing.
Fuzzy Logic by Marta Santambrogio
Watch this video at https://w w w .lsnglobal.com /show s/article/17908/rca-and-csm 2015-ones-to-w atch
Marta Santambrogio (CSM)
Coming from a background in music, the designer set out to redefine the experience of public space in India, now
dominated by extreme noise pollution. In her project Fuzzy Logic, Santambrogio re-imagined each vehicle in traffic
as an instrument, and worked on a range of sounds and notes that would create a pleasant sonic experience.
‘Traffic becomes a jam session, a moving orchestra,’ says the designer.
Insight : Show s
Page 4 of 6
RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO WATCH
Here After – I’m So Happy I could Die by Aine Katrina Byrne
Here After – I’m So Happy I could Die by Aine Katrina Byrne
Áine Katrina Byrne (RCA)
After exploring death rituals and ceremonies practised across different cultures, Byrne became inspired by the
bright pigments and lively patterns used to adorn traditional burial textiles. Her collection of oversized hand-woven
shrouds, humorously entitled Here After – I’m So Happy I could Die, symbolises the complexity of human
experience, with each garment representing a different facet of an individual’s life. The fabrics, designed to be close
to the body, are made from fine and luxurious materials with refined detailing whereas the outer layers are
constructed from rough hessian and industrial plastics.
TretSk1n Stories: Surviving Drought in 2050, part of Trehalose Artifacts project by Jaime
Tai
Watch this video at https://w w w .lsnglobal.com /show s/article/17908/rca-and-csm 2015-ones-to-w atch
Jaime Tai (CSM)
Insight : Show s
Page 5 of 6
RCA AND CSM 2015: ONES TO WATCH
The Material Futures graduate explored potential scenarios and solutions for a drought-stricken future in his project
Trehalose Artifacts, developing a range of cosmetics products and garments that enable individuals to protect
themselves from dehydration. The designer worked with natural sugar trehalose to develop products for his fictional
TretSk1n label.
Landscape Composition by Caroline Cox
Landscape Composition by Caroline Cox
Caroline Cox (RCA)
Graduating from the Textiles course at the RCA, Caroline Cox presented Landscape Composition, a range of prints
and patterns applied onto fabric and wooden surfaces. The colours, shapes and final arrangement of the pieces
drew on the landscapes of the west coast of Scotland, capturing the harsh yet poetic character of local nature. The
powerful environments were translated through print and composition, and include bold colours, hand-drawn marks
and graphic interruptions.
Insight : Show s
Page 6 of 6