CQ’s just gotten to know that Zuzana Gombosova, founder of Malai, and Seetal Solanki, founder of Ma-tt-er, are both exhibiting their works at London Design Festival 2018 as well as conducting workshops and talks at this mega-design-event of the year. We couldn't have missed this opportunity to make some noise since we've featured both Malai and Ma-tt-er on CQ in the past. If you're in London or plan to go for LDF, don't miss these! 

1. Malai is joining All things in Between collective's show called Substanz: 

The Kabinet of curious materials is a small exhibition focused on showcasing an innovative and somehow unusual approach to materials. Team Malai has designed and made a small collection of accessories and shoes made from malai that will be displayed in The West Brompton Crossing space: https://www.londondesignfestival.com/event/substanz.

What’s All Things In Between? 

All Things In Between is a group of designers and artists working with a selection of unusual materials that have been developed for applicable and experiential purposes.

MALAI – THE VEGAN, EDIBLE AND ECOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVE TO LEATHER (At Substanz)

Malai is a bio-composite material made from coconut water and bacterial cellulose processed with natural fibre.

Bahia Denim by Sophie Rowley (at Substanz)

"Bahia Denim is an award winning material characterised by its visual illusion to marble. It is designed using production waste from the fashion industry. These textile offcuts are layered, adhered and carved to create intricate patterns." (Source: sophierowley.com)

Innovative Designs Made From Repurposed Denim (At Substanz)

"In developing the material by hand endless colour combinations can be explored achieving customised and one of a kind designs. Being light weight yet durable allows for a diverse application of the material in furniture, wall paneling or surfaces for interiors." (Source: sophierowley.com)

Time Rocks by Dawn Bendick (at Substanz)

"‘Time Over Time’, also known as ‘Time Rocks’ demonstrates how the changing properties of a material have the ability to signal alterations in our day." (Source: theobservatory.co)

2. Malai and Ma-tt-er collaborate on Book Launch

Recently, Malai was also commissioned to work on a series of bookmarks and book covers for the launch of a new book  “Why Materials Matter” by Seetal Solanki, founder of Ma-tt-er. These bookmarks and covers will be part of the book launch of Why Material Matters at LDF. This led us to our next question – What is Why Materials Matter?

A book by Ma-tt-er, founded by Seetal Solanki

For those who don`t know Ma-tt-er, a crucial part of Ma-tt-er is its online material library, the more public facet of the organisation. The website hopes that people will be able to look at familiar materials from our daily lives from a scientific perspective.

3. Book Launch: Why Materials Matter, by Ma-tt-er.

The book Why Materials Matter, by Ma-tt-er “presents a colourful panoply of ideas, technologies, and creative efforts that focus on the earth’s most basic elements, while also showing how these elements can be transformed into entirely new materials, through the lens of intriguing projects by designers, artists, makers, and scientists.”

The book is available on Amazon and its launch is accompanied by an exhibition curated by Ma-tt-er as well as a series of workshops, interviews and talks that Seetal will be taking part in. Free tickets here! 

Wang & Söderström`s Treasures Series Digital Materials (at the Ma-tt-er exhibition)

"Wang & Söderström is an art and design practice with a focus on digital/physical explorations and fabrication" (Source: wangsoderstrom.com)

Left: Natsai Audrey`s Bacterial Colour; Right: Envisions Simone Post`s Wood In Process (at the Ma-tt-er exhibition)

Natsai Audrey Chieza is the founder of Faber Futures, and is a biodesign pioneer and has spent 8 years developing novel methods for the biofabrication of living materials. Simone Post is a Dutch textile and product designer.; Her work is characterized by material experiments, in-depth research and a love for colour, print and crafts.

Ross Meerman`s Aera Fabrica Vessels (at the Ma-tt-er exhibition)

"The technique Aera Fabrica is a combination of blow moulding, glass blowing and 3D printing. From an experiment with stretching plastic, the studio moved to seeing the plastic form as a balloon that you can blow up. By heating up the balloon, it is made flexible and can be transformed." (Source: roosmeerman.com; Photo courtesy Ma-tt-er)

4. Zuzana Gombosova joins hands with Crafting Plastics! Studio to conduct "Dirty Lab".

Zuzana Gombosova, the founder of Malai, will be running series of workshops organised together with Crafting Plastics! Studio on 21 and 22 September themed “Dirty Lab”. The workshop will focus on understanding biodegradability as a feature of the material/product. Participants will be presented with two materials – Malai biocomposite and bioplastics – and shown several techniques to convert these into simple products that participants can carry home with them. 

Seats are limited and you can book yours here. 

About Crafting Plastics! Studio: 

crafting plastics! studio was founded in 2016 by product designer Vlasta Kubušová and production designer Miroslav Král. The studio is based between Berlin and Bratislava. The studio has done extensive research in the areas of production and overconsumption to devise new biodegradable material and product solutions, has been awarded multiple times for innovations and has introduced both high-end and low-key sustainable products. 

More on Ma-tt-er’s launch here. Don’t forget to catch Substanz, for all things Malai.