BIOFABRICATION

MATERIAL EXPERIMENTS 

My exploration of material alternatives began during my postgraduate studies in Barcelona, where I started working intensively with natural polymers and became fascinated by their potential. I was drawn to the idea that we can not only create our own materials from scratch, but also tailor them to have specific properties—or even develop them from waste. I began experimenting with DIY bioplastics and other materials made from natural ingredients like starch, gelatin, agar, or casein.

Lately, I've returned to biofabrication with a renewed focus on color exploration. I've been working with gelatin, alginate, and agar as base materials, blending them with mineral pigments, colored clays, and natural dyes. This process allows me to investigate how organic matter can carry and transform color in living, tactile ways.

BANANA BIO-LEATHER

Upcycling Peels into Material

The idea behind banana bio-leather is based on a desire to transform everyday organic waste into a functional, eco-friendly material. In this case, banana peels— often discarded without a second thought- become the starting point for an experiment. This banana bio-leather project is part of a broader interest in exploring plant-based materials and circular design principles. By working with waste and experimenting with biofabrication, the goal is to develop sustainable alternatives to conventional materials while maintaining connections to natural processes and local resources.

You can find the recipes and experiments here. 


CHAMPIGNON BIO-LEATHER

During a previous mycelium project, I ended up with more oyster mushrooms than I could handle. While my family and I initially enjoyed the harvest, we quickly grew tired of mushroom-based meals. That's when I had the idea to turn the fresh fruiting bodies into a material.

Although I only had time to dry them, the recipe for a new material stayed in my mind. I was also curious whether Champignon mushrooms could work, but their mycelium isn't dense enough for solid structures. While researching, I couldn't find a bioplastic recipe like mine, but I did discover a method for making paper from mushroom fruiting bodies, which sparked new ideas for using fungi in material design. Exciting was finding the right ratio between plasticisers, resulting in a material that was not only flexible but also surprisingly durable


You can find the recipes and experiments here.