The Extinction of Nature Through Sustainable Prints
Category: Interior
Competitions: Home
My project consists of a variation of interior prints to raise awareness of the extinction of plants, through ethically made home products for my own brand. My focal point for the entire project was sustainability, as I felt it was highly important to respect nature when creating products that bring attention to its beauty and fragility. This has been reflected through my material choices, for example, organic cotton, ethical, locally sourced sheep wool and bamboo silk. When printing, I used the digital method to avoid the use of harmful chemicals, which screen printing requires. Additionally, I experimented with natural dyeing to create interesting, unique prints and colours. Too name a few of these, I used turmeric, blueberries, spinach and red cabbage. All prints are initially hand drawn using watercolour and coloured pencil, which I then used Photoshop to edit and combine drawings into unique prints. My prints are maximalist with varying scales and compositions showing, the beauty of plants and flowers, which are either already extinct in the UK or at risk of extinction. The theme of this project was important to me, as someone who values the calming effects nature has on my mental health, I found it upsetting to understand that plants are beginning to go extinct, due to an increase in pesticides and lack of bees providing pollination. It was crucial for me to raise awareness of this, as I feel it is not often spoken about publicly, whereas the issue of animal extinction is, yet plant extinction is just as significant. The outcome of my project was to create a homeware collection for my own brand including a bedding set with pillowcase, a blanket and a tufted rug. My branding outcome has worked alongside my physical products enabling me to promote my work; I have produced a logo, look book and business card.
