BEYOND DECORATION– Reimagining urban structure through material exploration between yarn and clay
BEYOND DECORATION proposes a reimagined urban space and a new material future that introduces modular ceramic tiles for climbing plants. It explores how to make craft visible in urban spaces through material experimentation and craft techniques. By intersecting crochet structures with ceramics and integrating living systems such as climbing plants, the work investigates how two different materials, like yarn and clay, can operate both as structural and ecological mediators within the city. The project is situated in transit-oriented spaces, such as train stations, that are usually dominated by density, movement and efficiency, often where ecological or cultural expression is limited.
An important part of the design is modularity, as urban environments are variable and complex; for me, it was necessary that the object could adapt to space. Instead of a fixed object, I propose a modular system of repeating tiles that can be placed in different configurations depending on the spatial conditions. On the whole, the project focused on a hands-on making approach that combined material experimentation, prototyping, and collaboration. Through collaborating with local communities, the project was grounded in material reuse and craft knowledge. The methodology was informed by iterative processes, learning through making, and a more-than-human perspective.
Throughout the process, I explored the intersection of two different materials, like fibre and clay, and asked what happens when traditionally two distinct crafts enter into a dialogue. I used crochet not only for the technique but also as valuable knowledge. When it comes to the properties of crochet, I used it for structure with its flexibility, porosity and ability to work with different tensions. On the other hand, clay acted as a shifter of the states because when it was wet, it was more flexible, but when it was dry, it became fragile, and through firing, the forms became permanent. By connecting these two mediums I explored the intersection between soft and hard materials. When dipping crochet into the clay slip, it absorbs into the fibres, hardens them and eventually replaces them during firing when the yarn burns out and leaves a mark. The result is a transformed tile structure that retains the memory of its crochet origin.
Crochet carries with it a historical context because it was seen as a domestic female labour and practised in private or informal settings. It has often been categorised as hobbyist, decorative or secondary within the hierarchy of art and design disciplines (Adamson 2013, Parker 1984). The current design landscape favours speed, digital workflows and mass production. At the same time, craft-based practices are overlooked and on the verge of dying out, despite carrying rich knowledge and skills (Patel 2016). My area of exploration emerges within tension because we still live in an unequal world, where some get credited while others still stay in the background. Rather than using crochet as a surface decoration on a ceramic form, I made the clay depend on the yarn’s structure. Through this material collaboration, the project questions how design constructs value and how certain forms of labour are elevated while others remain marginalised.
The project explores how existing material flows, particularly discarded and leftover yarn and clay, can be reused in the design. Working with donated yarn, the project incorporates materials that carry traces of past use and personal histories, rather than relying on new, standardised inputs. This approach not only reduced material waste but also gave the design a social meaning, where the material itself becomes a means of collective participation.
References
Adamson, Glenn. 2013. The Invention of Craft. Berg.
Patel, A. S. 2016. “Declining Crafts: Looking through a Different Perspective.” In In This Place: Cumulus Association Biannual International Conference: Conference Proceedings, School of Art & Design, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, 27 April – 1 May 2016, edited by D. Higgins and V. Dhupa. Nottingham Trent University: CADBE. http://www.cumulusnottingham2016.org/about/.
Parker, Rozsika. 1984. The Subversive Stitch : Embroidery and the Making of the Feminine. With Internet Archive. London : Women’s Press. http://archive.org/details/subversivestitch00park.
